This didn't start out as catharsis

I recently started a new job. I'm the Communications Director for a local church. It's a part-time gig - only 10 hours a week. However, the week that the newsletter is due can easily suck up all 10 hours and then some.

This is newsletter week. Not a big deal really. It's pretty straightforward. Well, except for a few *minor* details.

Like not having the template until this morning.

Like not getting 75% of the content until yesterday.

Like not getting 5% of the content until tomorrow.

Did I mention that the submission deadline was today?

I had a meeting with the Reverend today; she's my boss and I report directly to her. We hammered out some ideas about how we want to see the newsletter develop and evolve in design, style and content. There are some immediate changes that can be made though and I want to include them in this issue.

But I have to be honest with myself about my limitations. It's almost midnight and I'm still sorting through the submissions trying to understand what goes where, who owns which pieces, how they all relate and deciding on the best way to layout the content so it flows. It's a big jigsaw puzzle that may not necessarily fit together nicely.

Back to my limitations! I seem to be straying from my topic -- possibly because I'm procrastinating on working on that puzzle.

I tend to accept deadlines and then raise the end product requirements significantly. No one asks me to do this, I just do it. It's part of how I work. I want it to be better than perfect. I want the Wow Factor.

Smart woman that she is, the Reverend picked up on this and said, "Just get it out. Just get it out."

Again, it's almost midnight and what am I doing? Trying to figure out ways to make this issue better than the last one. I'm not interested in completely reinventing the wheel here. I just want it to have that Wow Factor -- not for praise or recognition, but because I want to put out a quality product.

See? Now I'm talking myself into doing more. I'm starting to psyche myself up to make more changes.

I think simply learning how to make the pages number themselves in this program will be a triumph.

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When I first started writing this, I wanted to wax eloquently about being true to yourself, finding your limits and being comfortable with them, learning to pace yourself, etc.

Somehow, it became a very cathartic vent. And I wasn't even mad. Just a little stressed I think.