Photo by Roadside Guitars

I have a mild case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  It started in my teens, innocently enough, while watching Yankees games on TV.  I’d settle into a “lucky” spot, listening to Frank Messer call the play-by-play, and wouldn’t dare move, lest the Bombers’ fortunes would change for the worse.  I gradually let it control my behavior more and more, until I took stock of what I was doing, and fought against it.  I didn’t seek any professional help, or ask any of my friends for advice, for fear that they’d think I was nuts.  I just gradually started to eliminate each of the compulsive behaviors, resulting in the well-adjusted person that I am now.  Yeah, right.

From one extreme to the other

I have it under control now.  I still have a few quirky habits that harken back to my OCD-controlled existence, but they’re rather benign.  I’m a person of extremes.  If I want to learn something new, I usually immerse myself in it.  Overcoming my OCD was no exception.  I started mixing things up, consciously avoiding any repetitious behavior.  For instance, when we go out for dinner, I’ll usually try something that I’ve never eaten before.  When driving, I’ll take a route that I’ve never taken in the past.  I’m always up for a new challenge.  You could say that I’ve done a 180° turn, always seeking out unfamiliar territory.  And that’s where the remnants of my OCD actually help me.

He reaches into his bag of tricks…

See, it’s good to have some routine to fall back on.  You don’t want to re-invent the wheel all the time; it’s just not productive.  Just like Felix the Cat, everyone needs their little bag of tricks to deal with the challenges of life.  My bag includes some of the things that I’ve picked up through the years, like my filing system.  I’m an anti-paper guy, and if I didn’t have a somewhat strict file-naming system, I wouldn’t be able to find anything on my computer.  I also keep an extensive list of helpful Excel macros that I pick through from time to time.  I’m big on being prepared, so I like to have my “toolkit” at the ready.  I also have my habit of doing three things before leaving the office in order to get a jump on the next day.  My OCD has helped to sharpen my focus.  I just try to keep it within limits.

Out of control

However, I’ve encountered other sufferers of OCD in the workplace, and some of them aren’t as well-adjusted.  One supervisor that I had hosted a weekly conference call from his office.  He was always fumbling with something in his desk drawer.  I later found out that he was stacking his paper clips into neat little piles.  A harmless activity, to be sure, but his behavior carried over into his daily sealings with people.  He started to get a reputation as a guy with “toys in the attic”, and news of his eccentricity spread.  It eventually undermined his standing among his subordinates, and his habits became the stuff of water-cooler jokes.

So, I’m glad I can harness my OCD for the benefit, and not the detriment, of my career.  I’m sure there are others of my kind out there.  Are you one of them? Let me know in the comments how you deal with this malady, and if you’ve been able to use it to your advantage.

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