[Scriptoris] RE: [Scribes] Overworked? (Saying "NO")

[Star Signet Herald]

I agree with this post wholeheartedly. Thank you Mistress Hillary for
forwarding this piece.

Please don't let anyone talk you into doing anything that is uncomfortable for
you.  This can lead to major burn out.  I would hate to think that this has
happened to anyone, and it is a shame and should NEVER happen. (Although, I do
know it has.  **sigh**)

There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG in saying NO.  Noone will think badly of
you.  No horrible repercussions will come your way. In fact, just the opposite
will happen.  Folks will catch the cluebus that you are committed to those
projects and that you need to devote the time needed to complete them with
care.  It says that you take your work and time seriously.  People will then
have a higher opinion of you and your work.

Here's something that I have learned to help me say no.  My knee-jerk reaction
is to always say yes.  But now I pause, take a deep breath, and say "Let me
think about that." I usually follow that with the list of things that I know I
have due.  Since it is pretty long...(I say yes far more often than I should),
people have the tendency to retract the project.  Or they are willing to wait
til I have the time to devote to them and what they want.

The key here is to not knee-jerk or be pressured into committing to a project
that you know will make you feel overly and uncomfortably pressured to
complete.

Also, if you know you will put it on the back burner for awhile, that's a bad
sign too.  Chances are that you really do need to say no.

Most people in Ansteorra are very understanding that you have a life and other
projects going on.  They may even ask you if you know of someone else who can
help them.

And in the unlikely event people still pressure you after you've tried
everything you can think of to tell them no, I would like to speak with them.
Let me know IMMEDIATELY!


If anyone else out there has any suggestions, please send them to the list.  I
think we could all benefit from a discussion on this topic.


Hugs!

Annais
Star Signet

Quoting Hillary Greenslade <hillaryrg at yahoo.com>:

> I really liked what this lady said on the SCA Scribes list (see below) and
> thought it bore repeating.   Please, please do not let your hobby in the
> SCA
> take over your life and make you unhappy if you find yourself overcommitted
> and overworked doing scribal requests.   Learn to say 'no' if you honestly
> are not able to do something, or it would infringe upon the rest of your
> life or work time.
>
> Luckily in Ansteorra, we don't do handmade scrolls for every award, so that
> gives us a bit more time to work on these prize scrolls and special
> competition pieces, to enjoy our fun.
> Hillary
>


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