I’d like to think I have a complete game.
But I don’t.
When I cup my hands, things will still slip through.
Sometimes the harder I grip, the more things slip.
So the question is how do I mitigate it?
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Behind the face
There are those who are the face of a group. And there are those who make it run.
Sometimes it’s all wrapped up in the same person, but I’ve usually seen these roles shared among different people.
For better or worse, it is the way of the world to give the figurehead all the glory, but do not discount the heart within the organization.
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Opening and closing doors
We spent the day cleaning out the house so it would be ready for rental.
Later that evening I went through my books and pulled out Akira and Sandman. It’s been much too long since I re-read them.
I wonder who I’ll view these books now that my world has changed.
But I don’t think it’s a random coincidence both happened on the same day.
Closing and re-opening are the function of a door.
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Plié’s and giggles
I recently noticed that the boy would giggle when I did plié’s while holding him.
At first he won’t notice it, but after two or three of them, he will notice and anticipate the pattern. A smile will emerge and he really gets into it.
It’s an amazingly easy way to get a baby to laugh, though I fear this phase may be just as fleeting.
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Hospitality
We had a friend in town who was trapped an extra day due to flight cancellations, and he ended up stayed with my parents for the night.
While he was grateful for the hospitality, the honor was ours, especially given the additional opportunity to hang out a little more than we would have otherwise.
Maybe it’s an old world view of hearth and home, or maybe it’s just the plain old saying it’s better to give than to receive.
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Generations
I saw the photo of the founder on the wall of his teachers.
The greatest honor the school could give.
No one wanted to grant this so soon.
But it was no one’s choice.
The wheel of life keeps turning.
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Genuinely curious
Sometimes you gotta just crank for the deadline, but I think the best long term play for one’s career is to ask genuinely curious questions.
The more you understand, the better you can work with your team and distill information for the decision makers above you.
And the best way to get there is to ask.
I’ve often told consultants or vendors, talk to me like a fifth grader. Teach me the premise of the problem so I can wrap my head around the problem cogently.
Of course, sometimes you have to get all the real experts in the room to resolve an issue. But it helps to have a good sense of when its necessary to push the big red button.
Such an instinct is developed over a long period of time, adding knowledge day by day, taking advantage of the many learning opportunities along the way.
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Default Settings
What are the default settings that I work with?
When I open up the computer in the morning, its gmail, facebook, espn, huffington post. Unless I’m a good boy, in which case it’s the new post editor for this site.
Even though that initial four website scan is generally pretty fast, it is still ten minutes that I should be exercising, which is sorely lacking in my life.
Same with my food. We’ve fallen into a rut of going cheap at the local Burger King, down the block from the office. I think I need to start going a little further down the street to the Albertson’s and start buying salads.
Maybe the only default setting that doesn’t feel completely like a vice is when I’m feeling a little frazzled in the morning. If I have a spare moment, I’ll drop by the coffee shop, order an espresso and decompress. Occasionally there will be a lightning bolt of inspiration — I don’t know its the change of scenery, or the caffeine, but I’ll take it.
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Good places
When you find one in this world, hang on to them tightly. There is a sacredness to such places.
Time flows slowly but inexorably, inevitably such a place will transform and change, and it may no longer be the right place for you.
Savor the moment, and count yourself fortunate.
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Everybody helping
I guess I was a lucky kid, as I generally grew up with the assumption that people liked what they did with work.
Even though I’m lucky as an adult and I’ve enjoyed my jobs, that is clearly not an assumption I would make nowadays.
But still, that is a powerful ideal to reach for. Not necessarily overblown “follow your passion” BS, more of “find a job that you like and be a professional on days you don’t.”
And on the flip side, when you run into someone that doesn’t reach it, have a little pity for them.