You've Got This. You've Trained for This.

On a good day,
surging towards the finish

I’ve said to myself either as encouragement or as a bit of pleading towards the end of more than one race. On the good days, I pick up speed, remembering the long runs I’ve pushed through and surge towards the finish. On the bad days, I slog through, one foot in front of the other just like I have done on the long slow runs – counting anything I can find and moving on will, not muscle towards the end.

The same is true in so many other parts of my life. In recent months, I have moved from a single full time job to consulting on a few projects across different companies. It is both energizing and a bit dizzying to switch context from one project, one team to another. 

When I first toyed with this idea, a friend and I were chatting about the value of the off time that you bring to work. The moments when you wake up, before you get out of bed, thinking through a problem. The middle of your run when you figure out a new approach. The unrelated chat with a friend that spurs a new idea. Our premise was only one project – the one you cared most about would get this time and this time is what makes your “on time" so productive. You sit down to write the email that you‘ve already thought through. So  - what happens when there are three projects vying for that off time?

Well guess what, I've got this. I’ve trained for this. Turns out I have been multi-tasking in my off time for years – a solid decade this December. I can do both 2^ndand 4^thgrade homework and make dinner at the same time. I can have a heart wrenching conversation with a friend and cut up chicken into bit-sized pieces for my hungry child. I can worry about both kids at the same time. And like most parents, I even multi-task in my sleep - comforting, holding, listening, and yup - occasionally worrying. It turns out, I have tremendous practice at context switching! Sometimes – like those runs, it is exhilarating and energizing and somedays it is the slog from pick up to bed time but so it goes.

I find that since I am interested and excited about all three projects - I do switch between them on my off time. Now - they don't get the same focus or dedication as when there was only one but I get to cycle through - allowing myself to focus on the puzzle that I can be the most productive on or that I'm ready to work through. I'll keep pulling on my training and pushing through - sometimes with flourish and sometimes pure will!

Thanks for reading!