When the flashy lights of transfer deadline day fixes your gaze it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.
And when Evertonians endure a day like this one then it's even harder to keep your cool.
The final 24 hours of the summer window were torturous for Blues fans who suffered an all too familiar tale of disappointment and anger as hopes of a flurry of late, eye-catching deals quickly unravelled.
Or in the case of Moussa Sissoko , very, very late in the day.
It left Everton fans with just the season-long loan signing of West Ham's Enner Valencia to show for a day that continues to take years off the life of the average fan.
Nobody seems to do deadline day despair quite like Everton.
But as the dust settles, flared tempers sooth and the Sky Sports circus is packed away until January, Blues fans can still reflect on a successful window.
Even if it doesn't feel like that now.
The deadline day craze means that almost two months of work are dismissed out of hand because all that seems to matter is the last day when a club's transfer business will be judged on how many ins and out they get across the yellow ticker as the big clock ticks down.
It goes without saying that Everton did not enjoy deadline day.
But when you consider the state of the squad before July 1 to how it looks now then most Evertonians would agree that it is in better shape.
Sure, not the shape many, manager Ronald Koeman included, had hoped it would be for the next few months of the season.
A new goalkeeper was high on many supporters' list, a high quality forward to assist Romelu Lukaku was seen as essential and a fourth centre-back was another addition many wanted.
But undoubtedly the work Everton have done across the whole of the window has made them stronger.
Idrissa Gueye has already won the admiration of the Goodison faithful, Ashley Williams looks a shrewd acquisition and Yannick Bolasie adds much needed pace, power and versatility to the flanks.
Everton transfer deadline day 2016
Maarten Stekelenburg, signed for a nominal fee, has slotted in as Everton's No1 seamlessly.
Everton got top dollar for wantaway defender John Stones and kept wantaway striker Lukaku.
Off the field, the acquisition of director of football Steve Walsh cannot be overlooked either.
In just three games of the new season, the changes Koeman has implemented have helped change the mood around the place.
Deadline Day cannot be allowed to spoil that.
And what Koeman said still stands true.
“I need two seasons really to get what I think can be the best team for Everton.”
This was the first of four transfer windows in that period and the good news (the gaudy nature of deadline day withstanding) is that the January window will be round sooner than you think.
It is sure to be a month in which Everton explore every chance they get keep adding to their squad, slowly but surely.
As Koeman says, this won't happen overnight. It certainly won't happen on one deadline day.
