Accomplishments

Each day, as I start out, I have a list of sorts in my mind-this is what I will do today.  And, each day at the end of the day, I compare the list I started out with to the actual accomplishments of the day.  Today, that comparison doesn’t look so good.

I had hoped to move some of the piles off of my desk.  The piles are still there.  I had hoped to catch up on some of the computer work that I have to do.  I did get one project done, and it took much longer than I anticipated.  So, of course, not much else was done.

I talked to many people on the phone.  I always seem to underestimate the amount of time it will take to talk to clients.  The problems that they are facing are so enormous to them.  They have so many complications in their lives.  They have a very limited ability to stay on focus.  I end up listening to the same things over and over, and have a hard time cutting them off.  It is so important to them.  I am often the only person who will listen to them and take them seriously.  That is part of my job. But two hours to catch up on three of yesterday’s 8 calls makes it unlikely that I will have time to get everything else finished.  Once I put off a call, it gets harder and harder to return the call, and more likely that it will take longer to resolve any problems easily.

Here is the thing that has bothered me the most about my job over the past several years (yes, years!!!!)-people drop their damaged lives in my lap, and expect me to make it all better.  They have made terrible decisions or have done really bad stuff, and I am supposed to make it all go away-or at the very least, make the consequences much less for them.  In the meantime, they go on with their life, often continuing to make bad decisions, and it just snowballs.  I am not a miracle worker.  And even when I can work out a very good resolution for them, they often don’t even recognize that.  They just expect it, and go on their way.  How long can you do that?

Bottom line: I am tired, the accomplishments for today were few, and the reward nonexistent.

But, January is nearly over, and tomorrow is Saturday!

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