Sunday night, it feels like the whole week is ruined
Some Sunday nights, one small mistake grows until it feels like it ruined the whole week.
On a Sunday night, an office worker who sees one small mistake as a failure of the whole week begins to weigh those words in the counseling room.
On Sunday night, Eunji was packing her bag for the next day when a message from her team lead arrived: one number in Friday’s report was wrong. She replied that she’d fix it first thing Monday morning, but in her mind, the mistake grew into the thought that it had ruined the entire week. In the counseling room, Onyu set down the paper where Eunji had written those words, and they looked side by side at what had actually happened and how much the words had added. Eunji still couldn’t take those words back, so she left them on the paper as she got ready to leave the room.
When a small mistake looms large
Sometimes one mistake can make it feel as if you’ve ruined the whole day or week.
When was the last time one small thing made it feel like your whole day was ruined?
The moment a message about one wrong number turns into the thought that the whole week is ruined can stay with you. I saw a small mistake stand in for the whole week. If you’re going through a night like that, you’re welcome to tell me what happened.
Scenes
- 01 · One number in the report Friday’s number — On Sunday night, Eunji was packing her bag for the next day when she got a message from her team lead. It said one number in Friday’s report was wrong. Team Lead: One number in the report is wrong. Please check it on Monday.
- 02 · A brief reply Monday morning — Eunji replied, ‘I’ll fix it first thing Monday morning.’ Then she thought of the one number she’d gotten wrong on Friday. Eunji: I’ll fix it first thing Monday morning.
- 03 · The whole week Words on the paper — On Monday afternoon, thinking of Friday’s mistake, Eunji wrote ‘The whole week is ruined’ on a piece of paper and set it on the table. Eunji: It was just one wrong number, but it feels like the whole week is ruined. Onyu: Eunji, seeing those words on paper makes their size clearer. How would you sum up what happened on Friday in one line?
- 04 · One line of facts Between the two lines — Eunji wrote ‘One number in Friday’s report was wrong’ and set it beside the sweeping statement. The two sentences remained side by side on the same paper. Eunji: When I write it like this… it’s just one number. Onyu: Eunji, with the two sentences side by side, what stands out to you first?
Stories by Onyu
- Onyu
- After sharing the news, I can’t focus on work all afternoon.
- By afternoon, thoughts of my friend bring work to a halt.
- When your hands stop in the afternoon, even bringing something up with your family can feel hard.
- After I cancel a plan, I can’t focus on work that afternoon.
- Even after the meeting ends and I’m back at my desk, I think about the presentation first.
- Even after the meeting, I still can’t think of a way to honor them.
- Even after the meeting, thoughts of my parents stay with me.
- Even on my day off, I answered someone else first.