Attitude Adjustment

I will begin this post with a short rant. At work, very few things irritate me more than a "that's not my job" co-worker. These are the folks that goof around on the internet, crochet, gossip, etc., rather than work on the types of projects that they feel are beneath them. Another group that makes me grind my molars are the "I'm too swamped" time wasters. These are the people that will tell you that they are too busy to take on a project even though they have been on an hour long personal call, while shopping online for designer handbags. Frequently there is overlap between the "that's not my job" people and the "I'm too swamped" time wasters. I could rant for pages and pages, but I am really trying to focus on loving everyone, even people that bother me.

My standards for what constitutes doing a good job are probably fairly high. I am a work-a-holic. I am the child of a work-a-holic. I truly believe that when I am at work, (and even in jobs where I have been underpaid and under appreciated) that it is my duty to do my best to see that the company or firm is profitable. I have no problem doing what needs to be done, even if it is not a desirable task. I expect the same from the people I report to, the people I work with and the people that report to me.

At the same time, I hated housework, despised cooking, refused to pick up after myself at home and I could not seem to make it to the grocery store on a regular basis. I would tell myself and my husband that I just did not have time to keep up on my share of the chores, even though I would read, goof around on the internet, and generally waste time rather than doing the chores I did not want to do. There were some chores, I flat refused to do (washing anything that did not fit in the dishwasher, folding clothes).

One afternoon, I read the following post by Marne Maykowskyj Nordean on the Mamapreneurs, Inc. blog. It completely changed my attitude. I realized that while I do what needs to be done in the office, I am a "that's not my job" wife and a "I'm too swamped" time waster at home. Since then I have been doing a better job of taking care of our house and my family. It is difficult to have a career and a family, but I decided that I am going to take care of my house the same way I would approach a task at work. I am going to do what needs to be done.

At the same time, I am focusing on not stressing myself out about it. I am coming up with systems that allow me to do my share in a way that works for our family. For example, I have started doing grocery shopping on Saturday and meal preparation on Sunday. I get as much ready on Sunday as possible so that during the week neither my husband or I have to spend more than 30 minutes preparing dinner.

Ultimately, it is my responsibility to ensure that our household is running smoothly. Accepting that responsibility has gone a long way toward fixing my attitude and approaching my duties with a smile.