Missing Things

Missing important things can cause you to miss out.

"Account deactivated." While I hadn't logged into the portal in some time, I couldn't figure out what this message was all about. Clearly, someone or something had locked me out, and I must admit, a slight panic set in. At first, I thought I had entered the wrong password or that it required a password reset because it had been a while. I called the company to determine what happened but kept getting the runaround. They said I had to speak to a specific person, and they could not provide any more information. Now, things sounded worse.

I contacted said person via email and phone, and they replied that they were taking a "personal day" and would get back to me the next day. They did. And I didn't like their response at first. They said they had deactivated my account because I had yet to meet the requirements from the year before. They had instituted a new requirement in 2023 that I was unaware of. When I communicated that I was unaware of it, they told me they had sent at least four emails and attached them as proof.

I never saw them. Now, I could make the excuse that they went into my spam folder (which they did!), but it's on me that I didn't at least check. After multiple emails and agreeing to jump through several hoops, my 10-year relationship with this company is still intact, but only after I checked my ego, held my tongue, and humbled myself to do some things I thought were unfair and unnecessary. But that's how it goes when you miss things, important things.

That's the simple truth, I missed it. My email filters? That's on me. Not looking at the spam folder? That's on me. Not paying closer attention? That's on me, too. A 10-year relationship that had been profitable and a necessity almost went by the wayside.

When something gets missed, like a deadline, an important communication, or a clause in a contract, it's easy to make excuses. When we realize it's happened, though, we have to move in to fix it, which means taking responsibility, putting one's ego aside, and doing what needs to be done. Of course, it's better not to miss things in the first place! I made a few observations due to this situation, reminders, if you will, that I have put in place for myself.

1.) Don't ignore. While this should be obvious, that's not always the case. It's essential not to ignore what seems mundane or routine. Often, something important could be buried there if you aren't paying attention. 

2.) Don't imagine things are worse or better than they are. It's easy to overreact when you've missed something, and you realize it. There's likely a path forward more often than not. It might take more groveling and persistence, but keep at it until you know you've exhausted all possibilities. Taking action is always better than sitting and stewing, blaming yourself, or blaming the other person, business, or organization. 

3.) Don't ignite. Don't make the situation worse by losing your temper or saying something you regret. In this case, new leadership had taken over. I immediately concluded (in my mind!) that one of the new people I wasn't as fond of had put this new requirement in place. I thought briefly about expressing this sentiment but then thought better of it! That likely would have made matters worse and ended this significant relationship. Sometimes, as difficult as it is, keeping some of our thoughts to ourselves is more productive! (Who'd have thought?)

We all miss things. Sometimes, these "things" are critical. That's why checking in regularly (and having checklists) is vital. But when we miss something, jumping in and trying to right the ship as quickly and efficiently as possible is a priority. Just because we missed something doesn't necessarily mean we have to miss out.