THE (THIN) LINE BETWEEN CHALLENGE AND OVERLOAD
"Maintain your health. Be joyful. Do not force yourself to do things you cannot do."
Stress is often an underestimated factor in our overall well-being. While most people recognize the importance of diet, exercise, sleep, or non-smoking, stress can be just as impactful on both physical and mental health. Taking on too much, even with the best intentions, can lead to burnout, frustration, and even long-term harm. It’s easy to believe that pushing ourselves to the limit is always the path to growth, but where is this limit?
I’ve always been the kind of person who does not hesitate to take on challenges. If there’s a tough task among easy ones - especially one I don’t fully understand - I’m usually willing to volunteer. I trust (and can prove) that stepping into the unknown is the best way to learn and grow. However, recently, I’ve come to realize that there’s a balance to be struck.
Over the last eight months, I found myself facing one of the most demanding challenges of my career when I was given the responsibility to handle a specific project. It was something outside my usual role and an area where I had almost no prior experience. While it was an incredible learning opportunity, it also meant diving into unfamiliar domains and, most importantly, shouldering the weight of building an entire solution from the ground up to a production-ready state. This process taught me invaluable lessons, but at the same time, it tested my resilience in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
I have no doubt that I’ve grown significantly from this encounter when it comes to technical knowledge. But have I also grown professionally, or just drained myself to the unwanted extent?
There have been many small and big wins, moments of accomplishment, and genuine appreciation. But at the same time, I’ve also recognized the cost—stress, frustration, and moments of self-doubt that have stretched my patience and mental resilience to the edge, negatively impacting my day-to-day well-being. That’s not to say I’m complaining or looking for sympathy—these are just the raw facts of the adventure I’ve been through.
Close to the end but still not finished, I’m fully committed to seeing this project through to undeniable success, delivering strong benefits to our organization. But I’m already looking back and reflecting on a critical question: was it even worth it? How do we distinguish between a journey that kicks us forward and one that simply pushes us too far? Where is the line between a meaningful challenge and harmful overload? Perhaps the ability to recognize that point is itself a next valuable skill and an important lesson to learn.
The sooner, the healthier.
Appendix
To complement this intense journey, I decided to pursue the AWS Developer Associate certification to solidify my understanding. It took months of additional dedicated study on top of my workload. And passing the exam was no easy feat. Achieving this certification is just a well-earned confirmation of all the knowledge I’ve recently gained. I’m pretty proud of it while staying grounded at the same time.
And also, a little bit relieved.
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