When you add up the hours at work and the tasks that need to be done is there enough time? 

Example: A friend took a job that was 2 days a week. She was constantly behind schedule and felt incompetent. Finally, she talked to colleagues about how much she was struggling. Turns out the person who had the job before her worked 4 days a week. Once the conversation was out in the open the team agreed to shift some responsibilities. She also clarified priorities with her supervisor and quit trying to uphold impossible standards. Most importantly she quit beating herself up for being “inefficient.” 

If you sit back and do a time map of your tasks, do they come anywhere close to fitting into your working hours? Are you rushing all day long? In an ideal job you would have some time to reflect on the next task, to eat a meal and take breaks. This allows you to be your best self at work, increasing your competence and not leaving you depleted.  

When you weigh the challenges to be met, and the resources you are given, do you have enough? 

Example: An increased number of clients meant an increase in quarterly reports that were required to be printed and put in a file. However, there was still only one cranky printer that had to be babied or it would jam. The secretary was told to be a “team player” and figure out how to spread out the printing until a new one could be ordered.  

Lack of resources often creates trouble over time. You try to “make do”, “get creative,” or “find a substitute” but all the energy spent there takes away time and energy from the primary job. Without basic resources jobs can’t get done or safety standards can’t be met. It is hard to feel good about a job, and therefore about yourself, if you can’t get the job done. Being aware that you are lacking basic resources allows you to give yourself a break rather than judge yourself. 

When you consider the goal to be accomplished, do you have the authority to get the job done? 

Example: A founder of a small agency was not comfortable delegating authority. Every day 3 or 4 managers were hanging out in the lobby so they could get approval for their day’s plans.  She would berate them for wasting their time yet also got angry if she hadn’t approved any changes. Managers heard “You need to take care of this!” with no authority to make day-to-day decisions.  

Jobs where you are micromanaged, expected to do it the same way it has always been done, or that require you to constantly check-in before you can move to the next step are exhausting. These situations can lead to constantly feeling like you don’t measure up. The small agency situation was improved when managers were given a budget for small purchases that didn’t need prior approval.  Are there aspects of your job where you could get the job done more efficiently if you had more authority to make decisions?