So far, 2012 has been … in a word: busy.
Things are moving and shaking. I’m spinning a lot of project plates just now, both on the work side and the personal side. I’m certainly not bored. Good grief, I have no time to be. And that’s great!
Busy is good. But some days, “busy” is a four-letter word.
As I age, I’m coming to know myself.
I only have so much energy, and that ebbs and flows. Certain things charge me up, and those waves run high, fast, and strong. And yet I know I have to be careful, because I can only keep up the pace for so long. I’ve begun to learn my pattern, and I can feel when my endurance is starting to fade. I get wobbly; I start missing details and my attention span snaps.
If I’m paying attention, and I catch it quick enough, I can avert total disaster. Which makes charging the batteries that much easier and quicker.
If I don’t catch it quick enough, those waves I’m riding start to crash. And I end up in a puddle. And it’s not always pretty. I don’t like puddling—because it usually means something gets mucked up while I’m recharging and recovering.
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Mario Andretti is credited with saying, “If everything’s under control, you aren’t going fast enough.”
My disclaimer: There’s a speed limit. And the flashing red & blue will graciously remind you what it is. Pay attention; don’t crash the wall. It wins.
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Smack. The wall hit me this time. Hard. So much for thinking I had another week or two to slow down.
My Pollyanna needs a vacation. And the rest of me needs a nap.
I have a wonderful collection of generous, brilliant friends. Recently, one of them shared an observation about 3 year olds and time-outs, here.
How fast is Warp 9? What speed comes after that? Whatever speed that is, for about the last 6 months, things in my world have been rocketing along at *that* speed. I’ve been struggling … surfing the wave between excitement about change and projects moving forward and the associated overwhelm of managing a boatload of moving parts.
Mario Andretti is credited with saying, “if everything’s under control, you’re not going fast enough.”
I am SO going fast enough. I acknowledge and own that I’m naturally hard-wired to be a “super-achiever.” At the same time, I’m a firm believer that all you can do is all you can do, and that is all. you. can. do. Some days “all” means more than others. I’m pretty sure I’ve hit the red-line limit of more.
I think I need one of Laura’s time outs. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. And let the inner, calm adult take the lead.
Last week, I noticed the iris on the north end of the house is trying to bloom. In December. I mused about boundaries, limiting influences, and living out one’s assigned purpose. Here are my first take-away nuggets:
ignore the circumstances—do what you do
The iris is seemingly shirking its circumstances. It’s not allowing boundaries (the blooming season) imposed by some outside force (time of year/weather) to shift its focus from its core function: to bloom. It might not be quite the right time, but that iris is ready! And in the meantime, it’s producing a little unexpected joy.
change is not an option
In some fashion or another, and whether we choose to accept it or not, we must change daily. On the micro level, our skin cells regenerate. Hair grows. We age. Life happens. If we only operate within pre-defined boundaries, we risk missing great adventure.
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Lately I’ve been working on our organizational 3 year strategic plan. This exercise has forced me to be more objective and view it from the outside– the good, bad, and ugly—and be honest about what can be changed and what must be managed. And I’m seeing two trends. We have some areas that, as the proverbial quip goes, “aren’t broken.” Yet I’m also seeing huge areas of opportunity. And in those areas of opportunity, we need to accelerate embracing the new way of doing things, even as we design on the fly. We need to start blooming now, or we may just miss it altogether.
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It’s unexpected to see this determined little iris in the midst of Christmas cheer. But just because something is unexpected, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be celebrated.