Off the rails.

Associate: How do you manage days that go off the rails--everyone popping in to say hello, unexpected + non-billable meetings, strange vibes, you name it?

Me: You don't.

Really, though, this is reality. It'll happen, and it'll often catch you off guard.

The best way forward is to expect that it'll happen and ride it out.

And wait.

Years in, you'll get a sense for when a day is headed that way.

You'll know mentally it is happening or about to happen.

And, you'll laugh it off, regroup, and hit the ground running later in that day, the next day, or other day.

Laughing it off, regrouping, and running again and again as you grow and become more comfortable in the billable-hour framework and as the ebbs and flows of unpredictability become your norm (and the ebbs and flows will never end).

This has always been the hardest part of the job for me. It hasn't gotten easier, but I have gotten used to it.

❤️✌️🔥