Impatient with Inefficiency

Last fall, with impending job interviews in sight, I decided I should practice answers to common questions, like what are you strengths and weaknesses? Anyone can name their strengths, but I was always at a loss for weaknesses. I'm not perfect, I know I have them, but I just didn't know what they were. So I asked my mother, because she knows (me) best.

She said I can be impatient with inefficiency.

Whaaat? I thought about it. And after much observation, it's very true. I'm always looking for ways to make processes easier and better (more efficient), and I do get frustrated when tasks take forever or I get interrupted. Hence, my frustrating day.

I'm still trying to learn time management at work, which is frustrating to me - there should be a better way to figure out what is priority! I have an intern coming in one week, and her binder has yet to be put together. I also have the weekly task of doing follow-up calls, and the more I procrastinate week to week, the more calls I have to make. In addition, I also do a lot of tasks that need to be done but are not done consistently; I'm the only one that is there everyday, so typically that falls to me. And then when it's 3:45 and time to leave, I'm surprised that I have made so little progress on anything.

And then there's my blood thinner. I ran out last week and called the pharmacy to refill. They needed to contact the doctor. Okay, no problem, usually takes a day or so. I phoned the doctor as well to give them a head's up. A few days later, still not filled. Phone the doctor yet again, but it's the weekend, so I don't get a response until yesterday. Yes, he'll fill it, but he wants me to get a blood test (that monitors my blood viscosity) to check and make sure the dosage is right. I agree. The order is faxed to the hospital where I work, and I plan to get it done after I clock out at 3:45. I didn't leave until 5:00. Why did it take that long to do a 1-minute blood draw? Inefficiency! In the form of mix-up with the orders, calling my doctor's cell phone because the main line said it was "after hours" at 4:00, and then finding out it was someone else's fault. Sheesh. It's just a stinkin blood test, how inefficient at that can you be?

It may not normally have bothered me, but it was the end of the day, I was hoping to get in and out and then go work out, which never happened. And when I don't work out, I'm usually a bit more stressed and a little less happy.

So what's the cure? I'm typically a patient person, EXCEPT when I know how the process could've been done better. Sigh.