Volunteering

I love to coach my son's baseball team. The kids are great, I get to meet other parents and really get to know them, and I get to spend some great time with my son. This year my girl will start t ball and I am really looking forward to that also. But what else do you do with your volunteering time? Let's face it we're hit up all the time with board opportunities and the like, when do you say no, what is too much? What is too little?

We have precious little time, my house has two working parents (did I mention my wife is a banker also? More on that later) and two kids in school. Talk about juggling. I decided long ago, after watching my peers, that I would pick a couple organizations to work with and keep it at that. I've worked with people that over-volunteer, and what I have found is you end up spreading yourself too thin, and no one gets the best of you (and your time at home really takes a hit). Nope, by keeping things to a few you tend to be able to lend more to the organizations you hitch your wagon too. Don't get me wrong, you won't be able to do as much for them as you would like, but you will still be giving more than if you decided that you should sit on twice as many boards, head up twice as many committees,,,,,well you get the idea, keep it small and simple.

This is not to say you don't sign on for the occassional judging of business plans, teach a class here and there for your local small business development center, or act as an emcee for a high school competition, just don't make too many promises.

By focusing on a few boards of organizations that are close to your heart, and taking on only a few projects that you find genuinely helpful and entertaining, you will get more gratification and the places you work with will get more of you. AND you will still be able to maintain that all important balance of work and home. (note, if you can somehow find some volunteering opportunities where the kids can help out, think Rotary functions where the little ones can chip in, they will also be the better for it, after all its never too early to teach them about giving back)....