I just don't have what it takes

Espressocycle

So I just got samples back of a direct mailing I was responsible for at work. One of the components was printed on canary yellow paper and doesn't look good. I didn't ask for canary, but it was on the quote from the printer that way and I didn't notice. This isn't the first time I've messed up. Two years in a row, I forgot to submit invoices and messed up our budget. Last summer, I designed a piece with a misspelling and nobody, including me, caught it, so it had to be reprinted.

I'm great at lots of aspects of my job, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't stop making mistakes. Every job requires "attention to detail" and I don't have it. If I narrowly escape getting fired for this, I'll get fired for something else. Then what? I'm just not able to succeed in life. I'm getting married next week, but I fear I'll just be a burden. if I lose this job and don't get another (likely - I've had no luck finding a job so far) we probably would have to sell our house at a loss and live in some ghetto apartment.

I'm feeling pretty low. I'm only 33 - I'm expected to somehow manage to hold down a job for the next 35 years and I just don't think I can.

jlwbeans0823

Life can be difficult. I'm sure the person you're marrying thinks you're great, probably your friends and family too. At this point you don't know if anything will happen at your job. I think it's normal to stress out a little if you've made a mistake, but mistakes do happen. Sometimes repeatedly. There are things about life that you like, right? Focus on those. I don't know you personally, but you sound a lot like my boyfriend. He stresses out all the time about the very same themes in your post. It's hard for me to help him because sometimes what he thinks and says is so irrational. I'm not sure what to say here, but I feel for you and I hope that things get better. Take care of yourself. Don't let the world spoil you (I wish I came up with this, but alas it's from the Walking Dead...big nerd).

oregonzoo

Shake it off, work harder. Redeem yourself. Barring winning the lottery or some interitance we're all working 35+ years.

Now show your fiance and soon wife you are a man, and make the best of your responsibilties.

shell22holmes

Just wondering if you had this lack of attention to detail in school? Does this occur only in your job? Or do you find your attention for details lacks in other areas too?
A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed as ADD, similar issues with concentrating at work, unable to focus at the task at hand, scattered etc. She takes Ritalin now, and she says it is life changing.
If not, then don't be too down on yourself. *kitten* happens, no one is perfect. Focus on the things you do well & the positives in your life.
Good luck......

PRMinx

Oh dear. Don't be so low. Put things into perspective a little bit. One mistake at work does NOT mean you aren't successful at life. It means you made a mistake at work. You have a beautiful fiance who loves you and wants to marry you because you are more than what you do at the office. We are all a sum of all our parts, both good and bad. I certainly haven't met a perfect person yet, have you?

And, you know what? We are in the same industry and I know how easy it is to overlook the bazillion details we have to cover when we do a mailing or a press release or even a stupid tweet. It's easy to do. Mailings are always the most gut-wrenching because it's hard to take back. Learn from this experience. Make sure you have some checks and balances in place. If you know you are bad at details, have three people look at something. Don't rush your decisions. Take time to go back and re-check. Are direct mailings all you do? I'm sure there are other things you work on that you are awesome at.

Always remember too that if things don't work out at this job, it could open the door to a new opportunity to find a line of work that suits your strength and passions.

oregonzoo

You could also make a check list of things you need to double check before submitting something. So you are 100% SURE you went through it twice.

neverstray

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, you're right.

luvJOJO

I work for a large printing company. This stuff happens ALL THE TIME. You are not the only one. It is just the nature of the beast. And we all make mistakes around here....the designers, the estimators. Most of the time if our customer makes a mistake...even if it's their mistake, we will reprint at cost for them.

Cheer up. It is not the end of the world. I would get on the phone and negotiate with the printer.

luvJOJO

You could also make a check list of things you need to double check before submitting something. So you are 100% SURE you went through it twice.

And this. Or have someone look over and sign off for you.

enigmachik

Everyone makes mistakes. Don't be so hard on yourself. A positive attitude goes a long way!

That being said, have you had your vitamin levels checked? Sometimes being low on a particular vitamin (like your Bs) can cause you to be a little "fuzzy brained" and forgetful. It's worth looking into.

Keep your head up. Never never never give up.

hugs

Espressocycle

Thanks all. I do indeed have ADD and recently started medication. It's changed my life too, but it's not enough to make me infallible and that's what my boss expects. I mean, I can say that my job responsibilities are incredible diverse and rarely the same thing twice. I do two direct mailings each year, write and photograph two issues of our color glossy magazine, write, photograph and and design one newsletter issue, maintain all content on our web site, shoot and edit videos, make slideshows and powerpoint presentations, update and reprint brochures, design and order business cards, letterhead and envelopes, photograph events, send 16-20 email newsletters each year, track and report web and email readership statistics, work with multiple vendors, write and design several postcards and related mailings. So it's a lot.

I run stuff by proofreaders, but it's still my fault is there is a mistake. I had to develop a spreadsheet to track accounts payable because we don't have purchase orders and I don't always get the invoices. The list goes on and on.

So I guess maybe nobody could do this job without making mistakes... and maybe not every job requires one do do quite so much without messing up.

luvJOJO

Thanks all. I do indeed have ADD and recently started medication. It's changed my life too, but it's not enough to make me infallible and that's what my boss expects. I mean, I can say that my job responsibilities are incredible diverse and rarely the same thing twice. I do two direct mailings each year, write and photograph two issues of our color glossy magazine, write, photograph and and design one newsletter issue, maintain all content on our web site, shoot and edit videos, make slideshows and powerpoint presentations, update and reprint brochures, design and order business cards, letterhead and envelopes, photograph events, send 16-20 email newsletters each year, track and report web and email readership statistics, work with multiple vendors, write and design several postcards and related mailings. So it's a lot.

I run stuff by proofreaders, but it's still my fault is there is a mistake. I had to develop a spreadsheet to track accounts payable because we don't have purchase orders and I don't always get the invoices. The list goes on and on.

So I guess maybe nobody could do this job without making mistakes... and maybe not every job requires one do do quite so much without messing up.

Dude.....you are not giving yourself enough credit! You f'd up on a cpl things....we all do!!! But look at all you are responsible for and DIDN'T f up!!! Own it!

RedHeadDevotchka

Thanks all. I do indeed have ADD and recently started medication. It's changed my life too, but it's not enough to make me infallible and that's what my boss expects. I mean, I can say that my job responsibilities are incredible diverse and rarely the same thing twice. I do two direct mailings each year, write and photograph two issues of our color glossy magazine, write, photograph and and design one newsletter issue, maintain all content on our web site, shoot and edit videos, make slideshows and powerpoint presentations, update and reprint brochures, design and order business cards, letterhead and envelopes, photograph events, send 16-20 email newsletters each year, track and report web and email readership statistics, work with multiple vendors, write and design several postcards and related mailings. So it's a lot.

I run stuff by proofreaders, but it's still my fault is there is a mistake. I had to develop a spreadsheet to track accounts payable because we don't have purchase orders and I don't always get the invoices. The list goes on and on.

So I guess maybe nobody could do this job without making mistakes... and maybe not every job requires one do do quite so much without messing up.

I used to work in a Doctor's office in the Scheduling department and they kept piling shiz for my responsbilities, like calling insurance companies, calling in prescriptions, calling other doctors offices, calling hospitals, talking to every damn department in our company. I can tell you from personal experience that if you have a wide variety of responsibilities it is SO easy to lose track/forget something in another area bc your brain has to switch from this to that to this and back and forth. It's totally understandable.

kenazfehu

Perhaps you can compensate for what your memory isn't doing for you. My husband carries a pocket notebook around all the time, and if needs to remember something, he jots it down, then crosses things off when they get done. Just yesterday I decided that he was on to something and started my own things to do check list.

mgobluetx12

I read this great book called, "Why We Make Mistakes," and it really helped me hone in on some of the reasons I was screwing things up and I changed for the better. It might help you too. Here's the synopsis:

We forget our passwords. We pay too much to go to the gym. We think we’d be happier if we lived in California (we wouldn’t), and we think we should stick with our first answer on tests (we shouldn’t). Why do we make mistakes? And could we do a little better?

We human beings have design flaws. Our eyes play tricks on us, our stories change in the retelling, and most of us are fairly sure we’re way above average. In Why We Make Mistakes, journalist Joseph T. Hallinan sets out to explore the captivating science of human error—how we think, see, remember, and forget, and how this sets us up for wholly irresistible mistakes.
In his quest to understand our imperfections, Hallinan delves into psychology, neuroscience, and economics, with forays into aviation, consumer behavior, geography, football, stock picking, and more. He discovers that some of the same qualities that make us efficient also make us error prone. We learn to move rapidly through the world, quickly recognizing patterns—but overlooking details. Which is why thirteen-year-old boys discover errors that NASA scientists miss—and why you can’t find the beer in your refrigerator.

Why We Make Mistakes is enlivened by real-life stories—of weathermen whose predictions are uncannily accurate and a witness who sent an innocent man to jail—and offers valuable advice, such as how to remember where you’ve hidden something important. You’ll learn why multitasking is a bad idea, why men make errors women don’t, and why most people think San Diego is west of Reno (it’s not).

Why We Make Mistakes will open your eyes to the reasons behind your mistakes—and have you vowing to do better the next time.

Espressocycle

We think we’d be happier if we lived in California (we wouldn’t),

Sounds like a great book and I will check it out. I think I might be happier if I moved to California though. I hate hot summers and snowy winters, San Francisco is my favorite city, one of my best friends lives there, and I think I would do well in Silicon Valley! But I don't think it's in the cards.