Pro Bono Madness

I run my own business. I love running my own business and being my own boss, but lately, a funny thing has been happening. My pro bono hours are far outstripping my billable hours. Now, I work mainly with non-profits, so in some ways, some volunteer work is expected. But it has been out of control over the past month. And I made a conscious decision to just be on one Board at a time. But this one Board is taking over my life right now.

I am pretty good at saying 'No'. I have said it many times in my life (both business and socially) and have no qualms with it. I am simply not a "yes" girl. So this has been vexing me. I don't actually feel I'm a very good volunteer because of it. Grump, grump, grump. Shouldn't our volunteer work bring us pleasure?

Balance is a wonderful thing. I must go on a hunt for it. I know I put it around here somewhere...

Comments

Turtle Guy said…
We all seem to be on this eternal hunt for "balance", but really is it not something that we create rather than find somewhere burried on our desk?

I found myself in a similar position a while back simply because I DID enjoy the pro-bono stuff more than the revenue-generating contracts. The key is, as I see it, finding a way to make the 'necessary' stuff fun again.

If I remember correctly, it was said:

"Keep interested in your own career, however humble. It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time."
3:56 am
Sarah Elaine said…
I have mixed feelings on this one, but I have made a point in the past couple of years to cut back on my volunteering. I like volunteering, but it does pull me off kilter and I get burnt out. It's hard when there's so much need out there and you feel obliged to do something.
10:21 am
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