Yesterday I started out with the best of intentions. So many things are happening so quickly that, as is my way, I feel that if I don’t get an early start I will run out of time and all will be lost. Certainly there has to be better way to handle chaos, change, opportunity, responsibility and a to-do list longer than one printed on a roll of bathroom tissue than going full speed at first light. Truth is I like getting up early, especially this time of the year when the doves begin their paradoxical marcia funebre early and the sun starts to spreads its morning light at (precisely) 0545. It is so quiet and peaceful at that hour that it makes the coffee smell of magic and pending miracles, an altogether intoxicating elixir, lovingly crafted specifically for my personal use. This day has my name on it.
You know the rest. One cup of steaming joe at the apex and by the time e-mails are read their nadir is visible on the horizon.
My challenge when dealing with this inevitable occurrence is this:
1) Recognize that my patience is being tested, breathe deep, relax.
2) Take a break if necessary, walk away. Laugh at the absurdity.
3) Reset my attitude and refocus on the task at hand.
4) Find some flow, a more graceful navigation through the chore.
Most of the time when verging on the darkness of seeing the job as overwhelming, or its complexity intimidating, or even its importance as an absolute emergency, any movement whatsoever in a positive direction is a solid win for the good guys. A well-crafted line of dialogue, two minutes of flowing video, sweeping the kitchen floor, a chapter in the manual, a 5K in the park. All the more fulfilling if the task is something that has been simmering on the back-burner for a while.
That is why I chose an early start to the day, I knew there would be challenge. I would be tested, value judgments to be made. Swiftly and without emotional debate. I must move all my stuff. ALL MY STUFF. I started with my bikes. I cleaned, changed tubes and tires, added tape and then lined them up to do a photo session for the Craigs List add that would surely solve this one issue and allow movement to the next.
Buzzing sound. Wrong answer. Try again.
By the end of the day, after three other ‘emergencies’ were addressed I stood on the deck admiring my work, however small the percentage of the intended amount actually produced was, I needed a nap.
Lessons learned from my day include continual practice, a gear adjustment/brake cable class, additional sensitivity to friends dealing with depression, deeper appreciation for the efforts of others, and…..
…..getting up earlier.
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