Some days, I come home from work and wonder why I even bothered to show up? I could swear that no one noticed my presence, nor would they notice my absence. Or maybe it’s a day where no matter what I do, I keep hitting dead ends or getting blank stares or seem to get criticized for whatever I do, or don’t do. It’s when decisions make no sense or your frustrations seem to fall on deaf ears or no matter how much you try to be transparent and fair, it backfires in your face. It’s days like those that make me wonder why I do what I do. It’s days like those that I go home and I re-evaluate what I’m doing and what I set out to do.
Other days, I come home from work and can’t stop cheesing. It’s the little things, like seeing lightbulbs go off over people’s heads as you introduce a new concept to them. Or maybe it’s someone feeling comfortable enough with you to confide in you. There are the times when you’re given a project and you knock it out of the park. And there are times when a problem falls into your lap and as a team you’re able to brainstorm and tackle it like it’s no big deal. My personal favorite: the unexpected unsolicited genuine compliment. Sometimes this comes from a colleague and sometimes it’s a simple, “You’re really good at what you do”, as you walk out of the building with a new face you worked with that day.
Both of those types of days are necessary. Both of those types of days count. It’s about seeing those days for what they are and not letting them defeat you or inflate you to the point where you lose sight of what you set out to do. Today was one of those days–I’ll let you guess which one.
