** I talked with a couple of colleagues this week about how we spend our days. Specifically, how hard it is to explain to someone who only understands the “9-5” concept of a job.
One of the guys put it this way: “I figure I have three things I need to do everyday to keep my career on track: maintain my appearance, maintain my voice, and learn new music.” So, that means: work out, practice, study. If you get up at a “normal hour,” you can have all of these things finished before lunch! Depending, of course, on how much new music you have to learn…
I would add some element of “the business” to this equation – emails, phone calls, dealing with materials and contracts and websites, writing my blog – but otherwise I agree. As I’m getting more serious about working out (two “runs” and two yoga classes in the past week!), I can see myself creating a schedule for my “days off” that incorporates these four elements.
** Today I had a friend call me “the hardest working girl,” in terms of my rapidly-filling-up season. Maybe it’s because of all the free time that the above schedule allows, or maybe it’s because I just love my job, but I always feel like I could be – should be – working harder. Like I’m not really doing what I’m supposed to be doing, and someday I’m going to show up for a gig and they’re going to say “How dare you show up so unprepared?” and I’ll get fired and my career will be over.
Ok, that’s maybe a bit melodramatic, but I’ve had the thought! I mentioned this to a mentor this summer, and he shared that another singer had expressed a similar fear about starting a new program, afraid the she would show up and get “found out,” that she didn’t really belong there. My mentor was surprised to learn that she felt this way, as she seemed very confident – and ready! He went on to tell me of an article that talked about the psychology of successful people, and many of them share this fear. Why is that?
I can only think that it really does have something to do with loving what we do. It’s fun, I enjoy it, I love the people I work with and the projects I get to be involved in. How can something I love so much be work? I must not being doing something right, ‘cuz “work” is supposed to be a drag, right?
I guess when it starts to feel like work, it’s time to take that yoga teacher training course!
3 comments:
It's called Impostor Syndrome, the feeling that, despite your accomplishments, you're still incompetent.
Many of us have it in various jobs, especially if by definition, your job suggests you are an expert. I am always scared I will be found out too.
It makes sense that we all feel that way though. Only by being compulsively worried about our level of preparedness can we arrive with the high level of preparedness we need.
Basically, if you're satisfied with how prepared you are, you aren't as likely to keep preparing above and beyond the minimum.
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