Durban - Juggling a traditional 9-to-5 job while also pursuing your passions can be overwhelming and often lead to burnout.
When high-achieving people tell stories of how hard they work, they often neglect to talk about their struggles and the tiredness that comes with that much effort in all that they do.
Resoketswe Manenzhe has turned that on its head.
She is a chemical engineering lecturer at UCT, a PhD candidate there and an multi-award-winning author of the novel Scatterlings.
Manenzhe said with all these tasks on her plate, she often struggles to achieve balance.
“I honestly feel overworked, constantly tired. But capitalism dictates a day job, and so a day job I have,” she said.
The author said she is burnt out the whole year and wishes that her industry did not necessitate this.
Published in 2020, Scatterlings has swept up prizes including the Dinaane Debut Fiction Award and the 2021 HSS Award for Best Fiction.
Manenzhe said because of how busy she is, she has not had time to process the novel’s success.
“It's been very confusing because on the one hand, I have a very successful book, apparently. But I honestly haven't had the time to enjoy any of it. I was resentful for a while. Then all the hype passed, and I wish I had taken the time to just take it all in.”
Here are Manenzhe’s 5 tips for someone who may be “stuck” in their traditional job but wants to also pursue a passion:
1. Consume as much of that medium as possible; if you’re a writer, read as much as possible. This will teach you a lot.
2. Make relationships with people in your field so you can critique each other.
3. Make time for your craft and take it seriously.
4. Don’t take it as a hobby, put in the work, and dedication.
5. Rest. This cannot be overstated; you need to relax and recharge.
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