Should have told the boss to switch to decaf.
I actually liked it. It put a little challenge into the day.
That was over 20 years ago, when I was an assistant. Now I'm the boss and answer directly to the Board. Quite literally, I have the best job in the entire world! Great pay, make my own hours, interesting, and flat out FUN. And I get the pleasure of serving some of the hardest working folks I know.
Ultimately, though, I would not be in the position, nor would I be able to keep this position, if it weren't for my parents drilling into my head the importance of hard work. I've pulled all-nighters to get a project done just right, or juggled like a mad woman to meet the needs of my family and my members. Less than a week after my latest child was born, I was back on the job, making sure our 25th Anniversary Party went off perfectly.
A lazy non-starter would fall flat on their face.
Those 18-hour long work days during crunch time are balanced by easy breezy weeks during the summer slow time, when I can hit the pool with my kids. The 1:00 AM projects are balanced by attending my family's events.
In the end, it's the results that matter. Performing programs, happy members, big sponsorship numbers, a growing organization in a down economy. Half-hearted efforts are not good enough.