Overcommitted (by Trish)
When we first moved to NH three years ago, I volunteered to serve on multiple local committees. With plenty of time to spare, I really enjoyed it and met some great people.
Over the past couple of years, since I began working full-time (and multiple jobs), my availability has dwindled. Recently, I’ve been feeling stretched a bit too thin and it’s become increasingly difficult for me to make monthly meetings due to schedule conflicts. Worse yet, during a recent meeting, I found myself struggling to fully engage because my brain was in a state of overwhelm and fatigue.
After a great deal of thought, I decided that it was time to resign. I knew the chairperson and others might be disappointed with my decision. Although I didn’t want to let them down, I knew that staying when my heart was no longer in it was not the right thing to do.
I wrote a letter to the committee chair and then to the other members informing them of my decision. I let them know how much I valued working together and offered to continue helping out with events as a volunteer, when I could. I got a very thoughtful reply back and I was also relieved to learn that a couple of new members were joining, which will be great for the committee.
How do you decide if you are over-committed and what do you do about it?
Hopefully, my questions cause you to reflect on your own thinking, relationships or choices. Maybe I even inspire you to make positive changes.
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