I have to admit something right at the beginning of this post: I’m a fan of coffee. And honestly, I’ll drink whatever kind of coffee you serve me. Good or bad, specialty or instant, with milk or sugar or nothing, I drink it all. When did it start? Probably when I joined auditing. Thinking about working on audit files at 2 a.m., tight deadlines, stale office air, and a junior crying over a spreadsheet, etc… then you know why.

Many of my former colleagues share the same habit. However, the coffee’s impact on their daily working day is sometimes mixed. I’ve seen people get visibly down because their morning coffee tasted awful. I’ve seen others drag through the day, and low on energy, just because they forgot to bring their coffee to the office. And when it happened to juniors in my team, I’d come over and “motivate” them with a few words which are “as sweet as sugar”.

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For many auditors, falling in love with coffee is one of the easiest things in life. And honestly, it’s easy to see why, which no one really argues with it. Simply, if you want to stay awake at work or study for a long session, coffee may be one of the most relevant things to enjoy. A good cup can help you stay focused and work more efficiently. It’s also a comforting ritual. For many, drinking coffee in the morning is an absolute must to kick off the day.

Sounds great, right? But here’s the real question: If you’re a coffee-lover, or even just a regular drinker, who are you without coffee? For some, a day without their favorite brew can feel like torture – discomfort, lack of energy, even low mood. Coffee makes you feel good. But does that mean without it, you’d be down, unproductive, or even depressed? Honestly, I don’t know, as there’s no definitive answer. I truly hope it’s not.

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But it does raise an interesting question: if taking away one cup of coffee can affect your entire day, are you too dependent on it?

Imagine if someone wanted to sabotage your performance, could they just serve you bad coffee or take it away altogether? It sounds like a simple plan, doesn’t it? If that’s enough to ruin your day, maybe it’s time to reassess the level of control that one thing has over you. Honestly, dependence isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, it means you’ve discovered a “trigger” that helps you bring out your best. But the risk is, when you rely too much on one thing, you become vulnerable. Simply take it away, and you lose your secret weapon.

That’s why I believe flexibility is more important in similar situations. Sure, you can be annoyed by a bad cup of coffee. However, in the end, you still need to focus, work hard, and perform the best of you. You can’t let your performance hinge on the quality of your morning espresso. Believe it or not, there was a period in the past that I decided to cut coffee out of daily routine, to see how it impacted. Coincidentally, I had several job interviews at that time. I managed to nail it anyway, that’s why I’m here in Germany now.

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And it is easy to refer to other factors also, not just about coffee. We can name several examples. Good makeup can boost confidence. But what if one day it doesn’t go well, do you lose all your confidence? Love, especially a healthy relationship, can uplift your mood and life. But if your relationship isn’t going well, should it crush your motivation completely? The same applies to anything external: a concert, a pep talk, a morning workout. These things can absolutely help, but they shouldn’t define your performance.

In the end, it’s great to know what brings out the best in you. But don’t let it be the only thing that it does. Being able to show up, perform, and shine, even without your “trigger”, is a sign of real strength. It shows you’re adaptable, which means you can thrive in any environment. And that, I believe, is a powerful path to success.