Who You Work With

I'm having a busy end to my summer. I've had half a dozen projects on the go and right now four group efforts are all demanding quite a bit of attention. I somehow signed myself up for things that are all either due at the end of the summer or have responsibilities that need to be addressed at the start of the school year, so it's all coming together in one giant mess of craziness and mild panic.

Yesterday was a great representation of that. I started the day at around 8:30 am, not including morning e-mails or other communications that I often read/send when eating breakfast. I ended the day around 8:30 pm, not including reading/sending evening e-mails. I wasn't exactly hard at work that whole time - I was able to get home for some of the afternoon to have lunch, walk the dog, etc. Still, it was a long day.

Yet, it was also a very good day, and I have the people I work for and/or with to thank for that. We managed to push forward several of the projects I have on the go yesterday, one in a very meaningful way.

Working with committed, enthusiastic, and understanding people makes every project so much easier. Tasks get done quickly, competently and reliably. Coordination is easy. Joint tasks and meetings feel less like work and more like regular socializing. I've spent hours in meetings over the past few weeks and genuinely enjoyed my time.

I like to think I'm a generally productive student and I'm proud of what I've been able to contribute to my school and to my community. However, this week has been a great reminder of all the guidance and support I've had with my initiatives so far. Any successes I've had have come from the hard work of my mentors, my collaborators, and my colleagues. I have been extremely fortunate to have good people to work with.