Bad days are the best days
Even though I no longer write fiction (because I’m freaking terrible at writing fiction)…
I still follow the r/writing subreddit, which is full of writers working on their novels.
And someone on that subreddit posted this absolute gem recently—
Bad days are the best days.
You know those days where you can’t think of a single word or sentence and you stare at a blank screen for 7 hours?
Yeah, turns out that’s for a reason and there’s something wrong with your story that you need to figure out. That’s a good thing.
I got my best ideas at the end of long, fruitless and painful days.
Let your brain work it out, no matter how long it takes.
And I’m here to tell you that I think the very same thing is true in your life.
Your bad days are your best days.
Not because they feel super pleasant (they don’t).
Not because I want you to suffer and burn out (I don’t).
Your bad days are your best days…
Because your bad days shine a glaring spotlight on an operating model problem in your life.
When a writer stares at a blank screen for 7 hours and can’t get a single word out…
It’s not because they’ve suddenly become lazy, or because they’ve suddenly become a bad writer.
Their writer’s block is a downstream manifestation of an upstream problem.
What’s keeping them blocked is some problem earlier in their story.
Maybe they need to introduce a key character earlier. Or switch around some of the plot points. Or adjust one of the rules of the world they’ve created.
Their writer’s block is actually a helpful spotlight, leading them to what that upstream problem is.
And once they find it and fix it, they’ll be back in their flow in no time, with a better story in front of them.
In the same way…
When you have a terrible day, and you’re reactive and stressed out, and you don’t feel like you got enough done, and you feel like you’re doing a bad job at everything…
(And maybe you follow that up with a full face-plant into a pint of ice cream or a bottle of wine or an endless doomscroll in the evening…)
You didn’t have a bad day because you’ve suddenly become lazy or incapable or overly sensitive.
Your bad day is a downstream manifestation of an upstream problem.
What caused you to have a bad day is some problem in the operating model of your life.
Maybe the standard of success you’re hold yourself to needs to be adjusted, and you need to recalibrate exactly what you’re trying to do here.
Maybe you’re working toward goals that you don’t actually want to be working towards, and you need to pause and figure out what you want.
Maybe you’re over-investing in “fixing” your weaknesses, and you need to invest more in playing to your strengths.
Maybe you’re not being set up to succeed, and you need to figure out how to get the support you need and position yourself better.
The bad day is actually a helpful spotlight, leading you to what that upstream operating model problem is.
And once you find it and fix it, you’ll be back in flow in no time, with a better life and career in front of you.
So come talk to me, and bring me your bad days.
And let’s figure out what the operating model problem is, and make a plan to fix it.
You can drop by for a no-strings-attached coffee chat anytime ☕️
It’s not a sales pitch.
It’s just an opportunity for us to discuss whatever’s on your mind…
And I’ll offer some one-off coaching and brainstorming about your situation.
Or you can book a consult call, and we can map out a full coaching engagement.
So you can not only find the operating model problem…
But test out and experiment with various solutions…
And then fully implement the new operating model that works best for your career and your life.
What my clients have to say…
“I would recommend Pooja to anyone who feels like there is a part of their life where they feel stuck.
Either stuck in a vicious thought cycle, or stuck at work, or stuck in some sort of unhealthy personal relationship, or not able to improve some aspect of their life that they want to.
Honestly that’s probably everybody, because everyone's probably stuck in some aspect of their life.”
—Client | Head of Business Development at MedTech Company
I help high performers build their careers around flow.
This requires…
Internally, learning how to access your flow no matter what’s going on around you (or inside you)
Externally, designing a career strategy that angles your flow at a high-priority problem that someone will pay you good money to solve
Tactically, navigating the transition from the role you’re in to the role you want
Today’s article focused on #1.
For more writing on all 3 of these, check out my table of contents.
You can also support this publication (and make my day!) by subscribing and sharing it with anyone you think would find it helpful. Thank you for being here :)
💻 Website | 📸 Instagram | 👩🏻💻LinkedIn | 🎧 Podcast | 💌 Newsletter | 👋🏽 Free resources