Fixating on the Bad
“Here is a magnificent, beautiful, wonderful painting in front of you... And yet you choose to fixate your eyes on the small fly which has landed on it! Why do you do such a thing?”
Working in events is not for the work shy. One minute you’re looking at a contract with unfair T&Cs, and the next, you’re on-site watching a keynote speaker’s slides not load while the mics play up.
It is one of those professions that you live and breathe. Because of that, it is incredibly easy to finish a 18-hour day and focus on the three things that went wrong, completely ignoring the things that went perfectly.
If you do this, don't beat yourself up. It is a natural human response called the negativity bias. In events, you are paid to anticipate failure, and when things go perfectly, your hard work is invisible. You usually only get feedback when something goes wrong.
Fixating on the negatives leads straight to burnout. To counter this, try a simple 5 minute habit at the end of your day. Write down three things that went well, and why.
What went well? (e.g., Registration ran ahead of schedule.)
Why did it happen? (e.g., Because I pre-sorted the badges and briefed the team early.)
Identifying why something went right forces your brain to recognise your own capability and skill.
The perfect event does not exist. The mark of a great event professional isn't that nothing went wrong; it’s how you handled things when they did.
Taking five minutes to look at what actually went right helps you draw a clear line under the day's chaos. It protects your mental health, stops the burnout, and helps you finally give yourself credit for the work you put in.
