DURING MY 9 to 5 CAREER DAYS, THE REVERSAL of the car into the office parking lot in a single manoeuvre was usually the harbinger of a perfect day ahead. This did not happen every day of course and in the days it happened, my mind would be on a self-congratulatory mode as it was a sign for me that I was sufficiently alert and living in the moment, so to speak ! On some days when it happened, the euphoria of a wonderful day ahead soon disappeared by the time I reached my office and switched on my computer as en route I had met the CEO in the elevator who reminded me of a draft that was overdue by a couple of days!
WHAT “MAKES OUR DAY” USUALLY DEPENDS on what we do. Quite often our helpful interaction with our colleagues elicits a reaction : “You made my day !” For someone in customer service, the satisfactory disposal of a difficult complaint can make his or her day. For a solicitor the unearthing of a precedent that had remained elusive for days can elicit a shriek of delight. A salesman who has bagged an order on a particular day that met his monthly or weekly target may transport him to near Nirvana. A Reuters screen flashing a fund manager’s anticipated stock price or interest level would probably prompt him to yell “I told you so!” For a working couple, an incident-free call from the maid in charge of their kids makes it one heaven of a day.
QUITE NATURALLY WE PAY AN INORDINATE AMOUNT of attention to one single incident that “makes our day”. Conversely, if “there is no paper in the photocopier” or a number we call is “continuously engaged” or if “the printer is not working” could well be instances that can pretty much ruin the start of a “perfect day” ahead. If the gas has run out at home or if the maid calls to say that “she is down with flu” a day which started hopefully can be pretty much “hopeless!”
WHEN WE ARE AT WORK, THERE ARE several things which occur that are beyond the realm of our control and these should not be allowed to disturb our equanimity as our focus should remain relentlessly on scoring off as many items we can from our To Do Lists. When we are done with the last item on our TDL for a given day on that very day itself, that is when we can pat ourselves on our backs and say that we have had a perfect day and that the day was truly “made”.
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