Debbie was right
Around this time last year, it was safe to say that I had bitten more than I could chew — not entirely my fault though but I have zero plans to throw my fantastic project manager under the bus. I was tasked with delivering an 8weeks project in 3 or was it 4 weeks? Of course, I protested but the client had trust issues and doubted our ability to deliver so instead of protesting, I decided to pour my energy into getting the job done.
My general approach to working in React/GatsbyJS projects is to spend the first weeks of the project working on the various components (buttons, links, etc) then begin to couple in the week that follows if there is a CMS to be integrated, that follows after the coupling is done.
Based on the timeline, the client was expecting to see something at least by the second week even if it’s just the landing page and of course, our fantastic designers had all these interactions in mind as well — it’s fine.
I laboured day and night to deliver at least the landing page and somewhere in my mind — I thought, that when I become a senior engineer or a CTO or VP of Engineer somewhere since I wouldn’t be writing the code, the work becomes easier. Debbie who I had just met at the time said I was only deceiving myself that it doesn’t get easier.
Fast-forward to this year, I have the opportunity to work in a proper engineering team with structure and all but is work getting easier — the answer is “NO”.
Achieving a work-life balance doesn’t come with ranks, it comes with intentionality — it is you yourself who must take charge of it, no one will offer it on a platter. In fact, it’s a pure delight to companies when there are people to are ready to work to the final breath.
As for me, who says I don’t deserve a vacation in Seychelles abi Maldives too?
PS: This article was written sometime in 2021
