Tuesday, July 20, 2010

io


It's not a cliche. It's a real self-diagnosis, courtesy of Wikipedia, of what I'm going through right now.

Information Overload, people just seem to throw this term around willy-nilly, not quite comprehending what the fuck it really means.

But when I walked out of the office today, head spinning, drooling slightly, not being able to make simple decisions between a glass of dry white or a glass of dry red at the obligatory after work-pub visit, and just staring at people like I am retarded, completely overwhelmed, I consulted the Pedia.

This happens, I guess, when one starts a new role. We've all been through it; me a few times with my various career paths. And changing thereof.

However I feel feverish with retardation right now. Perhaps it's because I have new country, new city, new day-to-day boyfriend, new office, new job.

I mean, I came home and had to do a load of washing for two people. Now don't get me wrong, even those with IO - too tired to write i-n-f-o-r-m-a-t-i-o-n-o-v-e-r-l--o-a-d - can do a fucking laundry, but now I have to account for two of us. My head, she is bending with all the new change.

Or maybe it's my role. I have gone from strategy to public affairs. And I am experiencing exactly what Wikipedia seems to sum up rather fucking accurately:

Information overload is a term popularised by Alvin Toffler [citation needed] that refers to the difficulty a person can have understanding an issue and making decisions that can be caused by the presence of too much information.

It's like you absorb everything you have to do, but you cannot conceptualise how the FUCK you're going to do it. Or, like me, who has this 'perform amazingly well or don't bother at all' first-child only-child complex, whereby I need to ensure I grasp everything straight away.

When do the symptoms fall away? It does go away right? Head spinning, not knowing where to start? Gimme a time limit here. Realised getting to know my home country is nothing compared to the stress I'm feeling about my workplace and having a drool at the bar, comatose, at what I am going to do.

I'd say I needed a tranquiliser, or at the very least that infused with speed, but don't think anything across this Grade A spectrum is going to help me. Just need to go through the motions and do the best I can, even at retarded overwhelmed levels. t does go away right? Whw

5 comments:

MeeA said...

It's normal to want to jump into a new position and feel like you have to reinvent the wheel.
Remember that you don't have to do it all on day one!
Good luck - you're going to be fine. :)

Art Jeweller said...

Yep, that happens and yep it does go away.Give it a month, even two to get the handle of what goes down... I done this stuff before and felt the same as you--- and even though it sounds doff to say it, just relax and ease into it in your own time. Well done so far the toughest is over--you there....

Stacey Woensdregt (Rowan) said...

Don't worry peas, it's normal. I experienced the same thing when I started my new position, whilst still doing the old one. It takes time, but slowly everything falls into place. You are only person and the best is all you can do. I know everything seems up in the air right now, but everything settles once you get into the swing of things. Prioritize your time and plan what you have to do. NO worries - you'll get the hang of it all. Every day becomes easier :) Don't look at it as being so much work and that you're overloaded, look at it as doing one thing at a time. Climb the mountain slowly :)

Nicole B said...

Hmmmm, I have first child syndrome too - have to get everything right the first time. I am a first child though :)

Anonymous said...

Knows exactly how that first child syndrome feels :-)

Take it one day at a time, one thing at a time - before you know it, you will look back at now and know - I MADE IT!!!

Strongs!