“I’m on vacation till date x. Please expect a delay in responses.”
That’s the message I saw from a former colleague when he finally decided to take some time off to enjoy the world. Or as kids these days say, to touch grass. However, this message prompt made me think of the sense of urgency the corporate world has forced upon us. Every task is said to be done ASAP and surprisingly has more or less the same priorities.
To be honest, I’m no saint either. The ignorant me had something along the same lines as the OOO message until recently. In fact, I took the deadlines too seriously and that did take a serious toll on me. (Is oversharing a thing on Substack? Asking for a friend)
So, how has the perspective shifted, you ask? Well, it started after I read the OOO message of one of my French colleagues, which was something along the lines of:
Bonjour! <insert French OOO message here> Hi, I’m on vacation till date x. I will respond to you when I’m back on date y.
See the difference there? There’s no element of urgency in the message above. At the risk of sounding like I’m stereotyping, I think French people and European culture generally have their priorities sorted. Don’t get me wrong, even they’re chasing deadlines like the rest of us to please the corporate overlords. However, as the popular saying goes, the devil is in the details.
They tend to fit everything within the workday and take the rest of the day to truly unwind. A stark difference from what I’ve observed from many 9-5ers who don’t hesitate to respond to a quick call from a workaholic colleague at 7 in the evening.
At this point, you’re probably thinking that I am fantasizing about a good work-life balance. To which, I’d say you’re not wrong. I like the idea of logging off from work at the scheduled time and doing things that truly make me feel alive. Taking a walk at the park, talking to loved ones, going on a cycle ride, reading (read: trying to read) a book, you get the gist.
Perhaps you have a good manager or are working in a firm that genuinely grasps the meaning of the word urgency. In that case, I’m happy for you, I truly am. But for everyone else, now would be a great time to re-evaluate your priorities and reset expectations. Or you do you. Idk.
And no, please don’t expect a delay in responses from me. Wish I could go the extra mile and write “I will respond when I have the headspace to process your message.” But alas, gotta pay the bills!
To the two people who made it to the end, I appreciate you <3 Surprise surprise, there’s a treat! — A peek at my current musical obsession and guilty pleasure: Obsession | Guilty Pleasure (It’s not a rickroll, pinky promise).
I’m planning to make this an outlet for random thoughts that don’t necessarily fit into my journal. You could expect the next post somewhere between two weeks and two years. Until then…
Toodaloo (yes, I’ve been watching a lot of Loe Whaley videos, she’s my spirit animal),
Subin