Discussions

So last week, I’m sitting there, coffee in hand, about to hit “Submit” on this client report I’d been working on for way too long… and boom wifi decides it’s done with me. No warning, just full betrayal. It’s like when your dog suddenly bolts during a walk and you’re just standing there holding the leash, wondering what your life has become.

Anyway, this sent me down a rabbit hole of trying to find a backup connection. Phone hotspot? Nah, too slow. Neighbour’s wifi? Password locked. I even drove to a café, thinking I’d be all aesthetic and productive, but nope. Their internet was crawling like it was still 2002.

This got me thinking our whole work lives are basically hanging on this invisible thread called “connectivity.” Whether you’re coding, designing, selling, or, I dunno, trying to get help with nursing assignment in the middle of the night… no internet means you’re toast. And yet we don’t really plan for it.

Like, sure, I’ve got cloud backups, but they’re useless if I can’t actually upload stuff. Same with all these fancy project management tools without wifi they’re just pretty dashboards I can’t click.

The worst part? Nobody really cares when you say “Oh, my internet went down.” They just think you’re making excuses. But anyone who’s been in the middle of a deadline sprint knows that sinking feeling when you see that little “No Connection” icon pop up.

I finally ended up using my phone’s data to send the report. It took forever and I’m pretty sure I burned through my monthly limit, but hey, it got there. Still, I’m now low-key considering carrying around one of those mini portable hotspots like it’s a wallet or car keys.

Moral of the story: if your work depends on tech (and whose doesn’t anymore?), have a plan B ready. Because tech has a weird sense of humor, and it usually kicks you when you’re already limping.