The Acceleration Dilemma

Today, I woke up but couldn't quite get moving, so I had a slow start. Being able to do this is one of the good things about this job.

When I arrived at the site, a carpenter was there, busily tearing up the floor. I noticed the baseboard I had been asked to repair had also been removed, so I asked if I should put it back, but he told me not to bother since it was being replaced with a new one!

Since the construction fee might be reduced if things stayed as they were, I proposed fixing some other areas in poor condition that weren't in the original request, and it was approved. Lucky me.

Watching the carpenter, I could tell he was adjusting his pace to mine without saying a word. I felt a mix of guilt and gratitude for his high level of consideration. He was a very easygoing and pleasant person. I didn't see him laying the floor, but I knew for sure he would do a great job.

Basically, the general contractor arranges things so that other trades don't overlap, but during busy seasons or on sites where the deadline is tight like today, it's common for us to end up there on the same day. Sometimes people leave without saying hello or handing things over (or even clicking their tongues at you), or we get asked to step out for a while. Since repair technicians have fewer materials and tools and are more mobile, I generally choose to yield when the site is cramped, but having a carpenter like the one today is very much appreciated.

During some small talk on my way out, we got onto the topic of the oil shock, which is currently the hottest topic in the construction industry, and it seems the carpenter isn't taking much of a hit. He mentioned that the painters and waterproofers, whose materials are directly affected, are having a really hard time.

The carpenter mainly does new construction work and takes on renovation sites like today's in between. It seems renovations pay better, just like in repair work. Since he mainly does new construction, he must be very skilled. (New construction requires higher quality than renovations, after all.)

Since I had a late start, I didn't get to the second job until the evening. It was about two medium-sized scratches in a rental unit. I filled one with hard wax, a colored beeswax material that melts with heat, and tried a UV-curing putty for the other. As expected, for medium-sized scratches, the UV putty is overwhelmingly faster. I'll aim to get more comfortable with the UV putty and speed things up even further.

Around last year, if I had this much work, I would be asked, 'After the first job, could you do one more if possible?' but lately, I've been asked directly. The other day, a senior colleague who gives me a lot of work praised me for getting faster, but in reality, I was working hard to speed up because I wanted to create time for myself and enrich my private life. And as a result of my efforts, I've been entrusted with 1.5 times the amount of work, so the increase in my private time has remained minimal.

It reminded me of when I worked part-time at a soba noodle shop before becoming a repair technician. When the shop was busy, I would work at about 1.5 times my normal pace. This was because if other staff members made mistakes or customers complained, the manager would get into a bad mood. He rarely directed that bad mood at me, but there were a few staff members who were always getting scolded, and it wasn't pleasant to watch, so I would end up working hard.

But I remembered how exhausting it was that I was expected to maintain that top speed even when it wasn't busy, and if I worked at my normal pace, I was treated as if I were slacking off. I always felt like I was losing out because I was expected to work at 1.5 times the speed of others even though my hourly wage was only 10% different. I know that in the restaurant business, this is unavoidable if you want to make a profit, though. If I could have hidden my talents like a skilled hawk, my heart might have been lighter, but I didn't have any talents to hide.

The senior colleague who gives me a lot of work is always slightly concerned about whether I'm overdoing it. When we were on the same site the other day, it felt like he was there partly to meet me in person and confirm that my workload wasn't unreasonable. I am very grateful that I am in demand as a basic premise, but I thought that the fact that it ended up like this must be because I'm a fool.

Aside from the consideration mentioned above, the big difference from the soba shop is that my compensation has also properly increased by 1.5 times. I'm happy, so happy. More than just getting a lot of money, it's that the results of my efforts are being recognized and taking shape as value.

I thought once again that I was glad I started my own business.

I got home late, but since my fridge was packed, I didn't eat out and went straight home to eat the food I had prepped.