Bad Day?
Ever have one of those days where nothing goes right?
It’s been a while since I’ve experienced one this bad. You know what I’m referring to: FTP account refuses to connect, the network connection to the local Mac servers are down, the Internet connection is down and every other possible connection the computer tries to make is refused. Half my programs crash and I’m forced to restart my computer not once, but twice in the same hour. And yes, my FTP connection, Internet connection and Mac server connections are all on separate network lines. I have never seen all three down at the same time.
Today, it seems like everything I touch turns to crap. I completely updated one website, spent a couple of hours on it, in fact…only to discover it needs a complete rebuild because it was a takeover site and is not up to snuff with our coding standards. I updated another site, only to find an irreversible error on a few key pages, rendering the entire site useless and also needing rebuilt from the ground up. Granted, most of the sites we manage are small. An average site will take me 4-5 hours to rebuild, unless the design is extravagant. But still, I wish I didn’t have to rebuild it at all!
Reboot your brain
On days like this, when I feel like I have lost my flow, I have to stop. No, really. I mean it. Just stop. Some of the more woo-woo types out there would call it “centering oneself.” Whatever you prefer to call it is fine with me. To regain my focus and find my lost confidence, I pick up something to read. I clear my screen except for the article I’m reading. No other open windows, no other open programs. Nothing else to tempt me away or compete for my attention.
Sometimes I choose an inspirational read, sometimes it’s anything not related to work. I choose a long article or a few that will last approximately 45 minutes to an hour to read and I set aside everything else. When I’m done reading, I feel a bit more relaxed, mentally refreshed and ready to start again. It’s a wonderfully non-self-destructive way to cope with stress.
How do you reboot your brain?
More on Critical Thinking
Here is a company who values critical thinking over any other skill one has to offer. Take a look at Bain & Company’s description of an ideal candidate (emphasis mine):
We are looking for people with exceptional analytical skills. Where did you go to school? What did you study? These are important questions, but we’re even more concerned about your ability to think. Can you break down problems into smaller parts and then focus on gathering the right information to hit each issue? Are you comfortable being challenged regularly by new industries and new situations?
Try out their practice cases and exercise your critical thinking skills. It reminds me of a complex brain teaser puzzle couched in a real-life situation.
