I really think life / things are always chaotic and on the verge of disaster. It's just that we are either used to it, or simply don't pay attention to some of the factors. Life "gets" crazy when one of the crazy things we are used to changes, or we start paying critical attention to something that's new to us, but has always been there.
At my work we are definitely in a chaotic state. A large project that's been around for what seems like forever in it's development stage is "suddenly" ending. One of our major projects is expanding with an entirely new assembly line requiring new machinery, tooling, automation, etc. that all needs to be running within an aggressive timeline.
In my line of work, that it run of the mill normal. It is what we do. But when they are happening it seems every day that every action, every decision, every minor setback, or every completed task is either going to make or break us.
From my perspective, a lot of the conflict and made up tension amongst our team is good. It shows people are passionate about their work and they take pride in us all succeeding. Unfortunately some on the team are getting overwhelmed and consumed with worry or are showing signs of burnout.
Lately I have been putting forth an effort to make sure I remain calm in tense situations, and even in passing conversions don't project worry or panic in front of my team. Even if I am panicking and worried.
I try to lead by example. Even around others who are not directly on my team. Being calm during stressful times can help those around you by being a good example.
It is interesting that this morning as my stress levels are higher than normal, that I picked up my worn copy of The Daily Stoic for the first time in over 4 months...
Today's Meditation: "If then it's not that the things you pursue or avoid are coming at you, but rather that you in a sense are seeking them out, at least try to keep your judgment of them steady, and tey too will remain calm and you won't be seen chasing after or fleeing from them" ~ Marcus Aurelius
As I reflect on the past few weeks as I type this and sip my coffee. I am aware of times were I was not the calm cool collected project engineer that I strive to be.
With that reflection, I have a few things to focus on for the upcoming work week.
Several little things that all add up to remaining calm and positive
As always, thank you for your time reading this. All comments are welcome. Even if you want to let me know how wrong I am. If you think others would get some sort of value, please share this on your socials.
