“The biggest challenge has been learning to reconcile all the different areas of my life that are important to me and accept that in all areas, good enough is genuinely good enough.”
Amanda Boag was RCVS President 2018-2019, and has been involved with a large number of other UK and European veterinary organisations, including as inaugural chair of the Major Employers Group. She is currently Group referral director of IVCEvidensia. Amanda has learnt to reframe compromise as a great balance between contrasting ‘fantasy worlds’ and has come to accept that good enough is genuinely good enough.
Download and read her full profile here.
Compromise can be positive
‘Compromises are such an inevitable part of life and I am constantly compromising. In one fantasy world, I am a stay at home Mum who runs 5 miles a day, volunteers with the local PTA and cooks the kids’ dinner from scratch. In another fantasy world, I don’t have a family to consider and can focus more on work, spend more time with my colleagues, contribute more to the profession and animal welfare and am doing a Masters in clinical research. But acknowledging that neither of those worlds would be better than the messy muddle I live in means that I think compromises are the best thing ever!’
Good enough is good enough
‘As with many of us I have battled a tendency towards perfectionism at work and definitely had times in the past when I gave work (and the time I spent at work) too much prominence in my life. An important revelation was realising that failing to delegate not only had a negative impact on me but can give others a sense that you don’t trust them and prevent them developing.’
Success means more than achieving accolades
‘Day to day interactions where people – whether it’s one of my daughters, a friend or a colleague – talk to me and share things they are worrying about…..sometimes I can help practically, sometimes I can just listen – but the fact that someone trusts you enough to share their worries represents more success than any chain of office.’
Read our next role model by Guen Bradbury here.