Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
(OP)
Hello all!
(Apologies if this is a repeat topic, but it wasn't on the first page so I'm hoping it's safe.)
If you are a chronic overachiever, how to do deal with the stress that almost always seems to result?
Bit of a background on myself:
Engineer-in-training with 2.5 years of "engineering" experience, but only 6 months of that in my current position. I'm in a supportive learning environment, but one that unfortunately has no standardized "design process" - ie, its in the designers heads, but not on paper. This makes life stressful because I'm never 100% sure I'm catching everything, and even if I am, Murphy's Law will always interfere anyways. As an overachiever, I tend to give 110% to a project, want it to be done early if not just on time, and therefore get stressed when things go wrong. Any ideas how to relax and "go with the flow more?" I thought I had it figured out and dealt with back in university, but now that I'm in a permanent job, the Overachievement has reared it's ugly head.
I know time will eventually make the overachievement go away (though NOT my sense of morals, ethics, etc), but any suggestions for the meantime?
Thanks in advance!
(Apologies if this is a repeat topic, but it wasn't on the first page so I'm hoping it's safe.)
If you are a chronic overachiever, how to do deal with the stress that almost always seems to result?
Bit of a background on myself:
Engineer-in-training with 2.5 years of "engineering" experience, but only 6 months of that in my current position. I'm in a supportive learning environment, but one that unfortunately has no standardized "design process" - ie, its in the designers heads, but not on paper. This makes life stressful because I'm never 100% sure I'm catching everything, and even if I am, Murphy's Law will always interfere anyways. As an overachiever, I tend to give 110% to a project, want it to be done early if not just on time, and therefore get stressed when things go wrong. Any ideas how to relax and "go with the flow more?" I thought I had it figured out and dealt with back in university, but now that I'm in a permanent job, the Overachievement has reared it's ugly head.
I know time will eventually make the overachievement go away (though NOT my sense of morals, ethics, etc), but any suggestions for the meantime?
Thanks in advance!





RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
It's not the multitude of solutions I have a problem with -I love looking for ways to solve problems. The trouble is not getting stressed out in the process of doing so!
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Even a problem with the system/management can be seen as a good challenge to develop people skills.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Be generous.
ALso, build a lot of 10-30minute islands in your work plan which you use for other things so that as you complete each segment you have a break.
BUT, if you complete a segment early, you must wait until the next segment start date and time before you can start the next segment.
Don't rush into the next segment.
This ought to make you take short manageable breaks, and you should try and use the breaks to relax by doing something else.
For some of these breaks find something to do that doesn't involve thinking about your project. Go alk to IT or get a coffee not from the nearest macj=hine but one further off. Try to acquire knowledge of other activities within the company.
These tasks can all be work related but are intended to de-stress you; this may help you approach each segment fresh and relaxed.
No cheating. If any segment over-runs, divide up the over-run time and adjust the due times for the next segments accordingly. Do not cut the breaks.
Next project set more realistic due times and adjust your work plan accordingly. Always try and ensure you have plenty of time for the project and try not to complete early.
I suspect you start eager and speed up and as you speed up you start to either make mistakes or get diverted.
You can also break each day down and assign different tasks to each part of the day. E-mail, research etc.
Schedule times to go talk to other engineers who have it in their head, don't be shy about talking to people (you sound disappointed it isn't all written down) Talking is better sometimes as what is written down is never the same as getting it from the horses mouth (or a***e dependent on who it is) and it will help you to build a better relationship with your co-workers.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
You will get over it. Don't expect that you will learn everything about real-world engineering in six months. Don't try to compete with your co-workers.
Accept the fact that someone is going to know more than you. They didn't learn everything they knew overnight, so they can't give you their knowledge overnight either.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Use reading eng-tips as a relaxation tool...
Read trade journals and other papers or what not as well...
Eventually, and you may be suprised how soon it happens, you will have "it" stored in your head as well.
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?" Oddball, "Kelly's Heros" 1970
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RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
You can start it by making note of each step you take in your own designs. Create a design file or folder with subdivisions for each major component, and subdivisions within those for analyses, design notes/reports, requirements, etc.
The first place to start is the customer requirements. Each design feature and requirement should be traceable to the written and unwritten customer requirements.
Document your rationale for making design choices. If there's a trade to made, document your weighting factors and other salient details of the trade.
Capture your analyses and simulations in some sort of permanent report format or files. Include all the relevant input parameters and program settings.
TTFN
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RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Simple.
But seriously. There are things you can control, and things that you can't. Learn to recognize the difference. Don't get worked up when something that you had no control over doesn't go "the way you would have done it".
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
A big part of design is taking a multitude of amorphous ideas and organizing them into a coherent product. There's many ways to do it. Ideas and concepts can end up almost covering the floor like litter. They do need to be put into a framework. It is good that you see that. A successful project needs someone to bring order from that chaos. Just don't give yourself a stroke in the process.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Document your own process as it evolves.
Document everyone else's process, too.
Maybe a little comparative anatomy will help you propose a standard process that combines the best of everyone's ideas.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
thread731-179040: Overcoming Frustration Is vaguely relevant. However just last week I forgot all that good advice and blew up at my manager.
I wouldn't say wanting to finish on time is overachieving, even wanting to be a little early isn't, in my opinion, it's just adequate achieving.
Overachieving is wanting to be 20% early, 20% under budget and 20% above minimum performance. (I know pick 2.)
Work hard - play hard, make sure and balance that and any family, faith etc. commitments. Heavy drinking at the weekends used to work well for me, at least seemed like it at the time, though looking back!!!
Things go wrong, take a walk, do something else for a while, ask for help whatever works for you.
IRstuff has a good idea, especially if you work in a field where there is a lot of similarity between jobs.
As SMS says ask questions but - and this is my golden rule - at least have thought about it a bit first, maybe do a little research etc. I prefer people asking "I was going to do it like this, what you you think?" rather than "What should I do".
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
To play devil's advocate, be cautious with the design manual and develop it closer to generalities rather than specifics. It has always been a frustration of mine to look at guidance documents and then find they have either tied my hands or they don't really apply to my situation. The documents take many years to develop so don't be disapointed if it takes a while.
My opinions only.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
At this stage of the game, I am just looking for a document that can serve of a reminder of all the steps required to complete the project, which in my case is transmission line design. A list of, and general recommended timelines for getting stuff accomplished would be helpful.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Regards,
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Now if you want to go about developing a quality and checking procedure - there is something wonderfully polarising that you can get your teeth into.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
A design manual can be equally contentious.
I actually disagree with KiwiMace, a written document you can refer back to works better for me than occasional training and maybe a few slides to look at.
That's not so say training doesn't have it's place but IMHO it should be training on what the manual says/how to use it.
Developing a manual like this is typically difficult and time consuming. I suggest that initially it is perhaps just a non mandatory guide, make it clear you want feedback from other users. As it matures it can maybe become mandatory.
Whether this works may depend on what it covers, there may be some things that should be mandatory from the start.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
It comprised a shelfload of looseleaf binders.
The asking price was $60,000 a copy... and it must have been 20 years ago, when that was a lot of money.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
As for catching everything, you can design something waterproof, shockproof, fireproof, but not foolproof.
Study Murphy (for technical issues) and Dilbert (for management issues)!
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
This applies to topics far removed from engineering as well.
Maui
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
It's a good idea to look at everything you do daily and think about how you could use the details of your job that interests you, in 5 years' time. I use a system of journalling in Excel, using it as a scrapbook and calculation pad. When I do a spreadsheet I define and design a perfect plan and then see how far I can go on the current project. On the next project I can reuse it, expand it, extend it and still have the original starting points. On another project I might get to finish it. I never get bored, I can tweak my process, think of something else.
Your design manual will have sections? Each section may have project-specific, corporate, national codes, revisions components or be a matter of personal taste. Is your manual hard copy or electronic? Is it easy to adjust. What happens when you take it from project A to Project B ? For me I would be forever tweaking a little component all the while I am working on something else, or see an idea that I could use.
Robert Mote
www.motagg.com
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
However, learning to navigate through the administrative gauntlet of engineering management without loosing your head (so to speak) is simply the biggest part of the engineering challenge...
Drink lots of beer and read Dilbert...
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
If you focus on improving your business skills, this will teach you the fallacy of worrying about details that you cannot control.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
The cheaper product is usually not the best product and either a mistake is made (which could be costly or catastrophic) or future engineering services will be expected at a lower cost with shorter deadlines. Either way it hurts the profession and the industry.
RE: Dealing with "Overachiever Stress"
Take notes...or take Xanax
Stress will kill you. When stress gets to you, sit back and remember what is really important in life.
Russell Giuliano