Why does everything happen on Friday?
Those who know me might say I have some obsessive tendencies. I like things to be just so and to know what's coming next. I don't like hassles or things to happen in such a way as I can't fix it asap. One thing that has always irrked me is getting mail with inaccurate information or treatening statements without the ability fix it. For example, the water bill comes with $200 in over charges. Or the bank statement comes indicating a withdrawl I don't recognize. These mailings always come on Friday... at 5 pm...after the business closed. And there I am, stuck for the whole weekend worrying about it. I don't just worry... I perseverate on it. I think about what I'm going to say when I call the customer service people. I expect the person on the other in to NOT be helpful. I imagine all that can go wrong until I'm nearly in a frenzy. Usually, the problem is resolved quickly and painlessly on Monday and I obsess on why I obsessed the whole weekend.
Once I figured out this pattern, I stopped opening my mail after 5 pm on Friday. What I don't know won't make me crazy...until Monday.
Today I was thrust into a similar situation in which my very organized and moving along smoothly day was interrupted by a desperate plea for me to do a report that normally would take days to complete. I was told it needed to be done today because another client is being held up without this report that involves and unrelated client. Who needs that kind of pressure AND guilt? The powers-that-be knew the client was in the middle of the transaction. They knew that the report was 6 months overdue? Why did they wait until Friday to ask for help?
The task did get done and I have managed to still get my other work done as well. But my teeth have suffered (I'm a jaw clencher) and those pesky tension endorphines are still running around in my blood stream.
Some people might say, "Leslie, you need to relax" or "You need to figure out how to cope." But that is the thing, I have figured it out. I don't open my business mail on Friday. I organize my day so I know each thing that needs to be done. Everything is in order as long as no one mucks it up. The answer may be to not answer my phone on Fridays.
Leslie
Once I figured out this pattern, I stopped opening my mail after 5 pm on Friday. What I don't know won't make me crazy...until Monday.
Today I was thrust into a similar situation in which my very organized and moving along smoothly day was interrupted by a desperate plea for me to do a report that normally would take days to complete. I was told it needed to be done today because another client is being held up without this report that involves and unrelated client. Who needs that kind of pressure AND guilt? The powers-that-be knew the client was in the middle of the transaction. They knew that the report was 6 months overdue? Why did they wait until Friday to ask for help?
The task did get done and I have managed to still get my other work done as well. But my teeth have suffered (I'm a jaw clencher) and those pesky tension endorphines are still running around in my blood stream.
Some people might say, "Leslie, you need to relax" or "You need to figure out how to cope." But that is the thing, I have figured it out. I don't open my business mail on Friday. I organize my day so I know each thing that needs to be done. Everything is in order as long as no one mucks it up. The answer may be to not answer my phone on Fridays.
Leslie
posted by Leslie Truex at 11:56 AM
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