Need job advice-- should I give up an exciting project for work/life balance-- long.

[Anonymous]

I am a lawyer at a dynamic non-profit organization with a small child. All the attorneys have a "core" area of responsibility, and there are opportunities to take on other exciting work. With a small child, I have generally avoided the exciting "extras" because my main goal has been maintaining a reasonable work schedule. My "core" area of responsibility generally involves two kinds of work, one I find challenging and rewarding, and the other that I am good at but would like to get out of. Unfortunately, I don't have any exit path out of the less desirable work. The other dynamic is that the challenging work flows directly into the work I find less interesting (i.e., the attorney who handles the challenging front end has to do the back end implementation part too).

The person above me for my core area of work is very difficult person. Let's call her Jane. While very competent and dynamic, she is also an attention whore who finds her way into anything fun and exciting. Everyone in the department sees through her, but she is very competent so she's still around. So far, things have worked out between us because I'm not interested in doing particularly fun and exciting stuff due to my trying to keep a good work/life balance.

Recently, an opportunity came up in one of my "core" areas that is one of the challenging and rewarding projects, and it had been assumed that I would be doing it. I did one of those projects last year, and for such a project, all the stars basically aligned to make it as manageable as possible (minimal travel, could keep up my schedule, etc). However, now I am managing the implementation/back-end of the project, and this will keep me pretty busy this year.

Jane came to me today to propose that SHE do this new opportunity because she thought it would be difficult for me to handle this new project plus the implementation of the old project. I'm sure she also just wants in on the new project because it puts her in the middle of things, etc.

The truth is that it probably would be very hard for me to manage both. One, this project will likely involve more travel and more extensive travel, which will be difficult for me. Second, the implementation of the earlier project will be a lot of effort. Third, doing this project puts me in the role of implementing it, which I do not want to do.

However, I'm sad about giving it up because the implementation work does not excite me, and the new project would. I already feel disconnected from the organization because I don't do the exciting "extra" work that others do.

Advice?

[Anonymous]

I'm going to play Carolyn Hax for a minute... Why did you bring up Jane at all? She isn't really relevant to the question (should you do this exciting/demanding project or not) but you mentioned her because the fact that she's the one who might get to do it bothers you. I think that is understandable but will just cloud your judgment about whether you really want to do this project or not. Re the ultimate decision, it's a tough one that all of us working moms have to face and it just depends on how much additional work it will really be and how big an opportunity it is, etc. I personally have erred on the side of my work/ life balance several times (also an attorney) in turning down "exciting" sounding projects that would have been growth opportunities because I knew they'd be terrible for my life. I try to remember that my career is long and even though I may have to sacrifice some things in the present to be with my young family, I will have many years to make it up later.

[Anonymous]

Your organization has a small child? You lost me pretty soon after that. This post is insanely long for a fairly simple question.

[Anonymous]

I think that more people should find fulfillment outside of their jobs.