Ice, Ice Baby

There was a little ice on the streets last night so the entire DFW Metroplex has completely shut down. I had planned on working from home today anyway, but kids are out of school, offices closed...It's crazy. I guess "better safe than sorry".

I have about four days worth of "catch up" work. I've been so busy at the office lately and sitting in an all day meeting yesterday didn't help matters much. They want us to achieve the impossible in the last 16 working days of the year...I suppose this happens every December. This year seems worse for some reason. I'm feeling a little uneasy and antsy about work lately, and I hate that it keeps me up at night...

Artificial Intelligence

I'm sure you've already seen this today. If not, burn away some of those work minutes with it.

I work hard for the money.

I am usually overwhelmed with stress at work. I bring it on myself, I'm completely aware of that fact. I put too much personal energy and focus on the goings-on here at the office -- on whether or not my clients are happy or if one of my vendors screws up, if my own company can't pull its weight in making my clients happy.

I know when it's a high stress time because my face breaks out and I don't sleep well at all. That pretty much describes my life for the past couple of weeks.

I can say this, though...I am getting better and better about putting work stuff into perspective. Saying, "It's just a Web site...Not brain surgery" or "This is not the end of the world" or "They won't remember this next year this time" is getting easier and easier for me. My perfectionism makes me a good employee, I know this. My company values me, I know this.

But this job is not what defines me...I'm thinking of typing that up, printing it, cutting it out, and taping that to the driver's-side sun visor in my car. We all need to hear that from time to time, again and again.