There are people who see a cat and think, “How cute!” I see a cat and apparently have an immediate instinct to pet it. The only problem: I’m allergic to cats. So far, reason and reality have held several crisis meetings about this. None of them has produced any meaningful results. Because whenever a cat crosses my path, the allergy suddenly becomes a minor detail. First comes the petting. Then comes the invoice: rash, itching, and the quiet realization that this perhaps wasn’t the smartest decision. And yet, the next time, I do exactly the same thing. You could say I have a remarkably consistent relationship with my allergies: I ignore them for as long as possible, and they then remind me who is really in charge. Maybe it’s simply because cats have that special look. The kind of look that clearly says: “You’re going to pet me. You know it. I know it.” And so far, they have always been right.

Patience is not necessarily one of my strongest character traits. This becomes particularly obvious whenever I’m waiting for my wife. However, I’ve evolved. These days, I simply get into the car before my wife is even ready. And I can now actually manage to sit there quietly for a whole minute. That may not sound particularly impressive – but trust me, it is. At least from my perspective. The interesting part is that my wife has learned a few things too. Shoes? They can be put on – even while limping towards the car. Jacket? Overrated. The important thing is that she is more or less dressed and heading in the right direction. So there I sit, checking the time and practising my inner calm. You could say I’ve learned to manage my impatience. Or at least successfully limit it to one minute. And if my wife happens to read this: Don’t wait up for me tonight – it might take a little longer than usual.

My relationship with phone calls is a little complicated – at least in my private life. When my phone rings and it isn’t a business call, my first thought isn’t necessarily, “How nice, a conversation!” It’s more likely to be: “That could have been a message.” So privately, I really don’t like making phone calls. A short message? Absolutely. WhatsApp? Perfect. A voice message? Fine. But why do we actually have to call? At work, however, the situation is surprisingly different. When it comes to customers, colleagues, or projects, I often prefer picking up the phone rather than reaching for the keyboard. Sometimes five emails, three misunderstandings, and half a novel in a presentation can be replaced by one simple phone call. A quick conversation, two questions, problem solved – done. So it’s not that I don’t like talking on the phone. I’m simply very selective about when I do it. Privately: “Can you just text me?” Professionally: “Let’s have a quick call.” You could say I simply allocate my phone-call energy strategically.