As you enter 2018 and prepare for a great year, you will inevitably experience periods of stress from the good work you want to perform. To remain on the top of your game, be aware of how certain situations can arise and interfere with the enjoyment of what you do.

From my experience, there are three areas where you may be particularly vulnerable to having your enjoyment diminished. Your ability to manage them reflect your resilience—your ability to endure difficult situations and recover quickly from them.

For instance, when you’re stressed, you become more aware of things that are not perfect (defined as the way you think they ought to be). For instance, in every firm, there are inequities. Under stress, you become acutely aware that there are some things that are unfair, unjust or not right. Rather than magnify them, are you able to maintain a proper perspective?

Another is when you are so focused on the volume, compressed time and deadlines before you that you forget about other important work, relationships and taking care of yourself. Are you able to retain a balanced life in the midst of your stress?

A third is when you become frustrated when you are directed to do things using old processes, old technology and old practices that you know are antiquated. Under stress, they really wear on you. Are you able to keep your frustration in check and work through it?

I’m not suggesting you let these things go or simply settle for status quo. You owe it to yourself and your firm to take appropriate action. Just don’t be led to believe that you have a dissatisfying or intolerable situation, when you really don’t. It’s not perfect—nothing is. So don’t be deluded into thinking it should be. You’re not settling when you let go of “perfect” and enjoy what you really have.