Last week was a doozy.
As I write, I’ve been waiting on the plumber for five hours to fix the same problem, for the second time in as many months.
The lab I complained about last year around this time gave me another reason to complain about them this year. You know that saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”? Yeah…I’ve certainly learned my lesson and won’t be returning to them again.
And on the work front, I finally found a new financial software. But, my initial excitement, because of how easy it was to migrate my data, has been overshadowed by the learning curve of using it and adjusting to the software differences. Joe from customer support is probably sick of me 🙂.
Yes, I know, in the grand scheme of things, nothing about these experiences is life shattering. But individually, and certainly collectively, they were extremely annoying, inconvenient, and time consuming for me.
They represented the epitome of everything taking longer than I expected and not unfolding as I wanted or planned for.
Maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but this week got me thinking:
You and I encounter curveballs on a daily basis – some are minor, while others are life-altering. Twists and turns, victories and setbacks are part of the trifecta of living a life, running a business, and dealing with money.
So why, then, do some of these curveballs (particularly the most minor ones) send us into a tizzy, sometimes?
Spoiler alert: I have no idea.
But I do have a suspicion.
The Intersection: Change & Control
From first-hand experience and observation, what I’ve noticed is that you and I tend to go into a tizzy when things happen that throw us off course – or off our game.
When this happens we frequently come face to face with two constants: change and control.
As I reflect on the range of emotions I experienced this week – frustration (plumber), anger (lab), and self-doubt (software) – not feeling in control and being resistant to change is what sent me into a tizzy and put me in a foul mood for a few days.
And I only made things worse by wanting the reality of each scenario to be different than what it was. Can you relate?!
Without knowing any of the details about the curveballs with which you are dealing right now, I bet the same applies to you, too.
Intellectually, we all know change is inevitable. We know it is happening all the time. And heck, sometimes, we even initiate it. But that doesn’t mean the process of change is easy. Or, that resistance to change doesn’t surface.
Tizzies Come With Lessons
Not only am I a pretty upbeat person, I am also pretty even-keeled. So, when I get agitated the way I did last week, I know it is time to dig deeper and get curious about what is really going on.
In doing so, I had three ahas. I’m sharing them in case they help you navigate your latest curveball – or the one that’s coming your way soon.
What’s beneath the surface?
Yes, I was frustrated with my plumbing situation. But, I live in a brownstone built in 1920! Yes, updates have been made since then, but still. Things will occasionally go wrong.
This was a lesson in patience.
What’s the curveball revealing about you?
I got the “Provider Order” from my endocrinologist in April in preparation for this month’s lab work and appointment. (I know, type-A to the fullest 🙂.)
I also purposely scheduled the lab work well in advance to ensure he had my results early. So why, on the day-of, after waiting 15-minutes, was I told they can’t draw my blood at this location? Even though it is the same place as where I had it done last year. Plus, when I spoke with the person who called me the day before to confirm, they didn’t mention this important detail!
Another location, a short ten-minute walk away, was recommended. So, I remained hopeful of being able to get this done on that day. As I’m walking to it, I am also calling them to confirm when they close. When I arrived, the office had just closed!!
Yes, I was angry with the lab screw up at the first location.
Yes, I was annoyed with having to go to a second location.
But you know what really pissed me off? My hopes for the second lab being able to help me were dashed. They wouldn’t have been high if only someone had simply picked up the phone. However, that was not an option, because I couldn’t bypass their automated system to speak with a human!
This was a lesson in acceptance.
Will you burn the damn boat?
Some folks know that I’ve been on a hunt for an alternative to my current financial software for a few years. I love the one I currently use, because I’m able to keep track of my personal and business finances in one tool. And, I’ve been using it since 1995.
My CPA, on the other hand, is not a fan. 🙂
Like I mentioned earlier, the new software made it incredibly easy to migrate ALL my data – personal + business, going back to 1995. But, before committing to this new software, I wanted buy-in from my CPA. So, I created a Schedule C for his review. In the process of doing so, I noticed an “error.”
Earlier this year, I mistakenly used my personal credit card for a business expense. The transaction was tagged as a business expense. With my current software, this particular expense would have been reflected in the Schedule C results based on having the appropriate tag. That’s not the case with the new one because it pulls by accounts. So, when I add the personal account, it brings in every transaction on that account – not just the business expense.
Is it fixable? Yes. Is it going to be time-consuming? Also, yes.
Did I begin to have second thoughts and was I about to abandon the new option for the comfort and familiarity of what I’ve been using for umpteen years? Absolutely!
This was a lesson in expectations.
I had to let go of the expectation that the “new” software would operate exactly as the “current” one.
I also had to get off the fence and make a decision. Either I stay with the old or move forward with the new.
Turns out those annoying, inconvenient, and time consuming curveballs you and I encounter, are actually micro moments for personal growth.
They grab your attention and cause you to become more aware.
If you choose, they invite you to adapt and remember what you can and cannot control.
And, they almost always prompt you to take action.
Hmmm…who knew you could glean all that from those experiences that, sometimes, throw you into a tizzy?!
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