I was struggling with balance. Then I found Triangirls.
To the edge of burnout and back. My experience.
I love my job. I’ve never felt such an intense level of accomplishment, excitement and challenge in my life before.
I’m fortunate enough to work with a group of people who feel exactly the same about their roles. We’re a passionate and creative bunch. Work doesn’t feel like work.
That, as I’m realising, can sometimes be a bad thing.
It doesn’t help that I tend to dream big. Over the past few months I fell into the trap of setting unrealistic expectations for myself, and doing everything in my power to achieve them. Do more! Do better!! Do it quicker!!!
The pressure to over-perform never came from anyone, but me. I was abusing the enthusiasm I had for my job.
Every morning, I felt overwhelmed by the amount I wanted to achieve. My appearance and behaviour were screaming, “Suzie is struggling”. But I became accustomed to it.
I started to neglect myself. My home and work life began to merge together like never before — not helped by being in lockdown during a global pandemic. I got the balance wrong.
Then, on the 17th of March I attended the “Triangirls: International Women’s Day 2021" event.
Triangirls, Cleo and Coding Black Females discussed the power of community, and the steps to take towards career progression. Listening to all the incredible women was inspiring, hopeful and exactly the push I needed… to stop!
I was reminded to breathe, to reflect, and to be kinder to myself.
I realised my actions weren’t sustainable. To progress and succeed, I must bring the same rigour, dedication and patience to my personal life, as I do to my professional life.
So I decided to stop and reflect. As a result of my journey to self-improvement and discovery, you’re now reading my first blog.
My not-so-perfectly-written and slightly clumsy blog. But that’s how self-reflection and improvement starts — by not-so-perfect and clumsy first steps!
My biggest realisation has been that realisation — or anything for that matter — is not absolute. My “success” is not determined by milestones. It’s determined by what I’m doing to improve, in all areas of life, every single day.
If you’re on a similar journey, a good way to start is to identify your goals — the whats, the whys and the blockers — which is exactly what we did in the Triangirls workshop. Asking yourself these questions ensures that your successes actually make you happy.
Stay tuned for a slightly less clumsy blog soon!
Triangirls always looking to provide a platform and space for women and non-binary people in tech to share their stories. Interested in sharing a story or participating in our spotlight series? Email us at hello@triangirls.com
