My dad once said to me "If you go to work every day to put out fires, and you don't work for the fire department, then something is wrong" This is also how you get absolutely nothing done and in a blink of an eye, a year has passed and you are exactly where you were in your career 12 months prior.
Let me give some examples of what this may look like:
You "quickly" get called to the pit to go look at something and emerge 3 hours later
Somebody asks you to urgently do a presentation
You get asked to help out with a project that's not yours
You have to step in and assist because somebody else didn't do a good job
You "quickly" get called underground and wait 2 hours for transport
You don't realize it's month-end week and all the reports are due so you rush
The key to managing your time at the mines is obviously proper time management (make lists, prioritize, reconcile, plan your tasks etc.) but also setting healthy boundaries at work. It's easier said than done and many people need to be coached on how to set boundaries at work, but it really is for your own good. As a professional you have work to do that impacts the mine on the long term, and you have to balance that with the daily tasks and request that you receive. Healthy work boundaries mean that you don't get sucked into other people's work unnecessarily, and that you can say no in a respectful but firm manner. Then you can implement proper time management principles and manage your duties.
If you can relate but you are struggling, you know where to find me.
Until next time, stay safe.
