Don't do the time before the sentence

I spent my birthday weekend worrying about a mistake I had not even made yet.

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to New York with my wife for my birthday. It was a great weekend with good food, time with friends, and karaoke. But I could not fully switch off.

There was a valuation analysis at work I kept replaying in my head. Something felt off. I was worried I had missed something, and more worried about how that would look.

When I got back, I checked it. I had missed something. I fixed it quickly. And what stood out was that no one else was nearly as worried about it as I had been, even after discussing the change.

I had spent my birthday weekend carrying stress over something that, in reality, was not that serious.

There is a difference between accountability and being your own harshest critic. When you make a mistake, own it, fix it, and move on. But do not punish yourself for something that may not even matter.

Sometimes there is no sentence at all. You just did the time anyway.