Shifting GearsNovember 17th, 2008 View Comments |
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I often discard t-shirts after workouts. Sweaty, old, past their prime, knowing that they served their purpose for many years, their worthiness proven but no longer needed, I cast them away instead of taking them home to recover and re-enter the fray.
Gone, into the trash. And it feels oddly good.
* * *
A good friend of mine said the other day that I live in a perpetual grey area.
I’m not afraid to get rid of things, revisit a decision, admit a mistake and shift directions.
But this also manifests itself in less positive ways: accurately forecasting my future feelings about decisions is difficult (and it’s part of the reason I own very little). For example, I hate buying plane tickets for trips far in advance, never sure if I’m going to feel the same way about the trip a month, a week, a day later. Sleeping on a decision is a near necessity for me.
This comes with a cost. Simple and big decisions lie unmade. Options close while under evaluation. Plans remain mere ideas.
Popular opinion notwithstanding, I can make commitments.
And this week starts a new commitment, a commitment to a test, a test of life.
Some of you may not know that in addition to everything else I do I also had a corporate job, albeit recently a three-day a week, flexible and often nebulous job. But it was also a good job: I had the priviledge of being around great people and to be a part of perhaps the best large corporate environment and value system I have seen up close.
Starting this week, it’s just me and my ecosystem (that means it’s about you and me).
November 17th, 2008 at 13:32
Speaking of decisions…..what did you ultimately choose? Blackberry? iPhone? Nokia? Pre-paid cheap phone?
November 17th, 2008 at 15:18
that's an odd questiion to ask in a comment :)
I'm always bemused by the range of public and private conversations these days, asychronous and synchronous, disaggregated across channels and methods.
It's hard to know which methods people prefer these days: we have to pay attention to figure out how people want to communicate…
November 17th, 2008 at 19:35
Yes, that was a very nice, academic, and circuitous way of avoding the question…but which will you get? Two words: I. Phone.
Again, congrats on unemployment!!! :D
November 17th, 2008 at 19:36
And I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm looking forward to participating in the new ecosystem.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:17
“For example, I hate buying plane tickets for trips far in advance, never sure if I’m going to feel the same way about the trip a month, a week, a day later. Sleeping on a decision is a near necessity for me.” It felt as if you were talking about me when I read this. I'm exactly like that.
Good luck with your new commitment.
November 23rd, 2008 at 16:17
“For example, I hate buying plane tickets for trips far in advance, never sure if Iu2019m going to feel the same way about the trip a month, a week, a day later. Sleeping on a decision is a near necessity for me.” It felt as if you were talking about me when I read this. I’m exactly like that. rnrnGood luck with your new commitment.
January 19th, 2010 at 21:17
[...] it didn’t go as planned. For one, after I quit my job last November I spent the next twelve months driving across the USA, bouncing on trains throughout [...]