Stephen had always been a hard worker – through school and college he'd put his whole heart and soul into getting what needed to be done exactly when it was needed. His diligent nature meant that he was always on top of his work and had plenty of time to enjoy his social life as well as getting the most out of class-time; always working towards getting the exam results and qualifications he needed as well as making the friends that brought happiness and excitement to his life.
Eventually, college was behind him, he'd stepped onto the career ladder he'd always dreamed of and found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and married her. It seemed now that he'd achieved what had always been his ambitions through all his years in a classroom.
However, it seemed now that his hard-working character was starting to run away with him. He became tunnel-visioned from one day to the next on his latest project at work, leaving home before his wife was awake and being the first to work in the morning and the last to leave after the dark in the evening.
What's worse, despite his diligence increasing to the point of disruptiveness it wasn't getting him anywhere in his career. He was dwelling solely on the problem at hand in any given situation and had completely stagnated.
One day, the first time that week he'd remembered to take his lunch hour, he bumped into Mary at a café. Mary had been in his course at college and they'd been close friends right from the start of their first year. She was also quite a hard worker but never had quite his natural spark for organising his studies and probably wouldn't have passed without the many grinds he'd given her. Since the end of college they'd slipped out of contact but over the course of lunch it became apparent that she was still friendly with many other old class-mates and, what's more, was already a senior manager at her firm.
He wondered aloud to her what it was that she was doing (and, he thought to himself, that he wasn't) that had propelled her so quickly through her career and kept her social life on such an even keel? She seemed surprised that he should ask, for it was exactly what she'd learned from him back in college – set your goals and keep them firmly in your sights.
He went back to work with that advise in his mind. Now, six months later, he manages his department, making sure he gets things done but not forgetting what it is he's working towards. He arrives at work and leaves at the same time as everyone else and has plenty of time with his wife – where he's now working towards the vision he has for his life, his home and his family. He's a popular boss at work and everyday he tries to instill in his team the sense of the bigger picture that got him where he is today. -By : Sinead Duffy-
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