Dealing with "Overachiever Stress" 1

[lookintomyeyes]

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!

 

[MikeHalloran]

To give you an idea of how much effort a design manual represents... For reasons that elude me, Generous Eclectic once offered their complete design manual on the open market.

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

 

[Murec]

I once had a coleague who was good at solving complicated problems. So good, that he turned even the simples things into complicated problems.
As for catching everything, you can design something waterproof, shockproof, fireproof, but not foolproof.
Study Murphy (for technical issues) and Dilbert (for management issues)!

 

[Maui]

The problem is not the problem. The problem is how you deal with the problem.

This applies to topics far removed from engineering as well.

Maui

 

[KENAT]

Mike, the GE Drafting manual is now the Genium manual, not sure if that's the one your refer to. It's mostly about drafting, doesn't give much on how to design etc as I recall.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[rtmote]

For many years, I considered myself an overachiever but since earning the grey hairs I have relaxed a little bit. I learned in spite of all the best efforts, the design is the easy part, it is people that are the problems, so now I wait until they have resolved their need to be heard or identified themselves. This means I do the details at the end, so I play around with concepts forever until 5 minutes before the deadline.

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

http://www.motagg.com

 

[Senselessticker]

never let'em see you sweat... it's okay to be an over achiever... amidst chaos there is profit...

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...

 

[lowedogg]

Try to remember that engineering is a business. Trying to be done early will cost you money in the end. It is truly an art to provide exactly the level of service that the client has paid for. If they bought the chevy and you deliver the cadillac, it makes it that much harder to sell the cadillac in the future. If you comletely finish your design a month early, you can rest assured that there will be changes that force you to redesign. Answers to problems generally do not need to be calculated to the nth degree. Only experience will teach you what due dilligence is required for every situation.

If you focus on improving your business skills, this will teach you the fallacy of worrying about details that you cannot control.

 

[Krautso]

Don't rush your projects, pay attention to every detail. Deadlines met will provide a happy client and allow you the most possible time in the contract to do your job. If you find yourself with extra time on your hands I would agree with working on some extra credit away from your project. Whether thats a manual draft (they are not easy) or some other internal project that you can work on at a relaxed schedule.

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.

 

[diskullman]

Your first heart attack should cure your over achiever status.

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