By Dorri Agostini
Photo credit by Juliet Solomon – Captain Tony holding one of the day’s catch – a Wahoo.
It was 4.45 am on Saturday 28th February and my friend Juliet and I have arrived at the Trinidad Yacht Club. Armed with water, wine, sandwiches and suntan lotion, we met the Captain and Crew of the Cherrios to embark on a day of fishing along the North Coast of Trinidad. Both apprehensive and excited, we set off on our adventure before sunrise, soaking in the view of the shore, alit with street lights. Even before we reached the North Coast, the sun had begun stretching its arms, creating beautiful shades of pink and orange against the blue sky.
As I soaked in the beauty unfolding, a feeling of complete relaxation overtook me. There was no phone, internet or other communication connections. I had to let go of all responsibilities …. activities unfinished, emails unanswered, calls from family and friends … all had to wait. I had escaped! Was I finally achieving some semblance of an appropriate work-life balance?
Over the past year I enjoyed the opportunity to perform the duties of the Resource Planner & Administrator while still managing some of my previous functions. With a strong desire to succeed, I developed the habit of consistently working long hours and, as evidenced by the receipt of emails from many colleagues at various times of the night and early morning, I was not alone. Our work at the IDB is, for many, much more than just a job and I sincerely congratulate the IDB for developing such a motivated workforce.
But are we (the workforce) really providing our best to this organization or any other organization that we may work for? Studies have shown that a good work-life balance is required to work at our optimum. Some downtime is indispensable to maintain an optimal level of productivity. In addition, several studies also indicate that poor health, increase in stress levels and heart disease, can be linked to consistently working long hours. Therefore, for the many of us who work consistently beyond the 40-hour work week, are we really being more productive? Is this sacrifice to our personal well-being, inclusive of our family and social life, worth it? Are we achieving what we set out to do?
Many organizations have equipped its workforce with tools to carry out their responsibilities from anywhere. One suggested way to achieve a better work-life balance is to take advantage of new working modality opportunities which are gaining popularity e.g. working from home. Though this sounds a bit counter-intuitive, working from home provides benefits to both the organization (lower overhead costs) and the workforce (more relaxed atmosphere and less interruptions leading to greater productivity).
Now back to my fishing escape … it’s approximately 6.30 pm and we have returned to the Yacht club with our catch (2 Wahoo, 1 Mahi-Mahi, and 1 Marlin). The Captain, turning on the music, invites all to join in some celebratory drinks. Slightly burnt, a little tired but immensely happy I turn to Juliet and toast her birthday – in reality this day was a gift to both of us.
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To my darling daughter Dorri, thanks so much for the fish. I totally enjoyed it and am looking forward to when you go fishing and bring some more for me. We did have a good time cooking it together. Delicious!
God bless.
Dion
Ahhhh …. Life in the Tropics is soooooo hard.
Great post Dorri! And a great day too. I am looking forward to our next trip and can highly recommend fishing as on outlet for work-related stress.
WOW that’s a huge fish!!! Amazing catch!! Looks like you know how to have fun at the IADB. Totally agree with your comment about “a good work-life balance is required to work at our optimum”, many people myself included battle with this dilemma on a daily basis. I never thought of going fishing as an activity of leisure but now wow I am rethinking that!
Very interesting read as many times working beyond the 40 hour week is not seen as going above and beyond but the norm. Sometimes we just need to disconnect and actually spend some time re-grouping our thoughts to focus on the rocks and not the sand.
Nicely written Ms. Agostini….very often we get so caught up in our work that we let it rule our lives, without taking the time out to recharge, thinking that the few hours away from work will be enough for us to maintain our productivity….unfortunately this is often not the case!
You are so right, a good balance between work and downtime, makes us more productive and healthier.
I like the “sandwich” structure in this essay, setting a scene prior to discussing the theme, and ending with a special moment shared with a good friend. As you write, being mindful of sacrifice levels for professional achievement is summarily important. A colleague once told me, “When you get sick, who takes care of you? Your job or those closest to you?” Jobs, and even vocations, do not reciprocate as much as we put into them. Personal relationships end up carrying us through the day… and life.
Great article Dorri. Did you catch any fish? A great work-life balance is so important. I hope the IDB appreciates your long hours and that you take some of your own advice :).
Cheers,
Sacha
Great Dorri! I really do not know who can possibly send an email at 5 am!! Completely agree that a “work-life balance enhances productivity”. We need to take advantage of the opportunity that the Bank give us and use the flexible work arrangements as much as possible.
We need to find an excuse for me to go visit you.
I want to go fishing too!!!
Great blog. It is true, we now feel obligated to respond to inquiries 24/7.
Really interesting and motivational post Dorri. I quite like your personification of the Sun!
Great Dorri… now it’s time to take some more of those unique days off xo
Great read Dorri and so very accurate!!! A good work-life balance is essential. I should consider going fishing as well, especially since I live in such close proximity to the Yacht Club 🙂
It is mandatory that we create a balance in life, because ever so often people get too busy in making a living, they didn’t get time to make a life. Make sure and create some more of these fun times Dorri, you deserve it.
Cheers.
You see what I have been reduced to Dorri? I guess one needs to take work-life balance where we can find it. The fish were smaller but the satisfaction comparable.
http://www.peruthisweek.com/travel-chilling-in-chorrillos-105768
Having recently been through all the stress factors related to the workplace I full understand and appreciate your thoughts, we only have one life and we have to enjoy the time we have, downtime is most important to all of us no matter what our lives hold, I actually felt on many occasions that work becomes an escape from our day to day activities and it then becomes an easy escape, I hope you’ll soon be out fishing and generally liming much more frequently in the near future, see you soon….
A good read, these days we really get lost in technology and it’s important to take time for ourselves.. where better than where you get no signal? 🙂
Cheers
Very well written Dorri, sentiments that I truly believe are true. What better way to escape a fast paced world with everything so compact there is little to no time to stop and react. Time away from chaos is always time well spent. Now I am motivated to take up that fishing trip I’ve been invited to! Hehe 🙂 Look forward to your next post
Ciao
Great post, Dorri! How grateful we should be for the chance to “escape” in the beautiful Caribbean! Certainly we should take care of ourselves, and balance life like this more often 🙂