Time Commitment — Avoiding Burnout
By Marilyn Cox, Velvet Hills Chorus, Region 8

What do most Sweet Adelines choruses spend time planning for? You might think it’s competition, but experience shows that it’s membership. Choruses crave financial stability, medals and awards, and recognition from their communities, but, in most of them, the primary goal is to increase membership — either by recruiting new or retaining existing members. Surveys show that our organization’s retention rate is comparable to –and even surpasses– other volunteer organizations, but we continue to seek ways to keep those members who are so valuable to us.

Based on those same surveys conducted by our international organization, one of the primary reasons our members list for leaving is time commitment, with burnout also listed as a factor. While these areas seem to be individual concerns, they actually demand a concerted effort from both members and choruses to keep membership strong.

We are each given 24 hours every day. How we choose to spend those hours determines our commitment. Notice, I say that the use of our time is a “choice,” because it’s based on priorities. While it’s true that many of our priorities are externally mandated (family, job, health, etc.), it is still our responsibility to make commitments that are structured to meet our needs.

The term “commitment” is a sensitive subject with different meanings for each of us. How we choose to spend our time is really up to us, but that choice should be tied to what gives us the greatest pleasure and satisfies our individual needs. Since everyone’s needs are different and there are certain limitations on available time, it isn’t possible for most of us to accomplish everything we would like to do. So, “I don’t have time” really becomes a statement of our priorities.

As busy women, we all need to consider commitments that will satisfy our personal needs, whatever they might be. As Chris Noteware reminded us in her successful class, “Fill Your Bucket,” each of us wants to experience accomplishment and acknowledgement in order to feel that time spent is truly worthwhile. To quote Chris, “When your bucket is full, anyone putting their ‘dipper’ in your bucket pretty much doesn’t get noticed, but if your bucket is empty, that dipper really makes a racket!” In other words, if we’re satisfied, we are willing to share and commit. But if we’re empty, there’s nothing left to give.

How each of us “fills our bucket” is a matter of personal choice. Many of our members relate that Sweet Adelines provides “fillers” such as lifelong relationships, personal growth, heightened awareness of all our senses, a profound sense of accomplishment, variety in our everyday lives, and recognition that we are our own most important resource which enables us to treat ourselves with intelligence and affection. Undoubtedly, there are others that each of us could add, but the important thing to remember is that we need to regularly remind ourselves of what those advantages and opportunities mean to us.

So far we’ve looked at what each member can do to recognize the needs that are satisfied by committing her time and energy. But the chorus as a whole, and particularly its leadership, must take responsibility for ensuring that each member’s time commitment is worth her effort. That brings us to the fact that burnout is often mentioned as a reason for leaving choruses.

Burnout, defined as “physical and emotional exhaustion and often development of negative attitudes and a negative self-image,” can be caused by any of the following factors:

• lack of challenge and/or variety
• lack of clarity
• lack of joy
• lack of accomplishment
• lack of support and/or appreciation
• feeling of being overwhelmed

The chorus needs to have a plan to accommodate the wide variety of needs of its members. Every chorus rehearsal should contain familiar aspects as well as flexibility coupled with challenges, thereby ensuring that those who need routine, as well as those who crave variety, are satisfied. This can also help members recognize their accomplishments, especially as leaders offer recognition for progress.

Sweet Adelines choruses are known for their incredible support of members in crisis. However, we are not always as consistent when it comes to ensuring that members’ needs regarding clear expectations, deadlines and opportunities for assistance with learning or other requirements are clearly defined and available. “Rookies” as well as “seasoned” members need to be informed of priorities for learning music, qualifying musically and physically, and any other aspects of chorus life that may involve deadlines. It can be overwhelming to consider expectations without a plan that is clearly defined and consistently carried out.

And what about that elusive quality called “joy?” How can the chorus provide that? Recognition and appreciation for attendance, accomplishments and positive attitudes go a long way toward making the chorus experience one that “fills our bucket” and keeps us returning each week. It can validate the time commitment, allowing us to attain a measure of success on a regular basis and enabling us to give back in appreciation for all that we’re receiving.

It takes dedication from members as well as chorus leaders to ensure that each member enjoys satisfying and effective accomplishments in her chorus life. Individually, we need to regularly remind ourselves of how chorus affiliation is meeting our needs. And the chorus must provide reliable and organized programs and recognition to ensure that members have numerous opportunities to be successful.

Making a commitment to chorus life takes planning and prioritizing. Each of us is ultimately responsible for our own choices. Sweet Adelines can fulfill many needs, but it takes a joint effort from members and their choruses to make it work. So, here’s to “racket-free” buckets for us all!

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