Episode 03: Make it happen

This is the third episode of The Life and Times of Mike – Navigating a Scenario 2 workscape

Man writing in notebook, cropped photo by Brad Neathery (@bradneathery) on Unsplash

Mike sets some boundaries and conditions for Mike unLimited to better manage the day-job and the side gig

With my direction (Reign) set about what I’m going to do, I’m thinking about how things will come together. I’m wanting to set boundaries for Mike unLtd about how my day job, and my muso side-gig can work together well.

My Rules can be broken if need be, but it makes sense to do some thinking now about what’s important to me. I’ve got a bunch of people to take into consideration and treat fairly: myself, my employer, my family and my mates.

These are the Rules related to the music side gig:

  • Of course, I’m going to ask the guys in the band their opinion on stuff – but … it’s my band so I get to have the final say on everything band-related.
  • No performing on a weekday night so I don’t turn up tired for my factory job.
  • No communication about band business during work hours. For the guys in the band who also work in the factory, we only talk about it during lunch. For the band members outside the factory – I won’t accept calls or texts about band stuff during work hours.
  • Band meeting once every 3 months – on a different day to rehearsals (which happen at least once a week). We can talk about the direction the band is going in and whether we’re happy about that, the kinds of gigs we’re doing and whether they are helping us get to where we are going, the kinds of promotions we’re doing and whether they’re working or not, and money matters.

I believe I am a person with strong values – so I’m getting real about what this looks like in my day job. These are other ‘Rules’ I’m setting myself for how I work:

  • I do what I say, I say what I mean. I’m careful about what I promise and I make good on those promises. It’s important to me people know I am trustworthy and reliable.
  • I am proactive in being publicly grateful – this means saying Thank you for things I might not have noticed before. I am grateful that I have this job and support to explore this side gig – so I’m going to pass that forward.
  • I make my well-being a priority. (If I don’t make it a priority for myself, who else will?)  So I take breaks, I follow the OHS advice promoted at work, I keep myself well-hydrated, and I talk about wellbeing as a real and important thing.
  • I want to grow and learn, and I help others grow and learn. I ask questions and will try to avoid making assumptions – cos I may be old, but I don’t know everything! I share what I know to help others get more skilled and expert.

Phew – that took a bit of thinking! But I’m glad I did it – I feel clearer about what I’m about and the boundaries.

I’m putting a note in the calendar for 6-months’ time, and I’ll came back and check if these are still good, or need to be changed.

 
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(Amended) Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash