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<\/p>\nI had a discussion with a coworker about management, and how sometimes it was taking your knocks and having experience, rather than just sheer talent, to make someone succeed.\u00a0\u00a0 It got me thinking, first about work lessons I’ve learned, but also about my obsessive hobby of racing and just life in general.\u00a0 Figured it couldn’t hurt both as perhaps words of wisdom to others, or to come back to in 5 years and laugh about how silly I was.\u00a0 Random quips, quotes, and observations ahead.<\/p>\n
On the construction outside our window at work:<\/p>\n
-There is only one diggy thing, and one pushy thing.\u00a0 (Apparently that’s the technical term that came out of my mouth for bulldozer and crane).<\/p>\n
Ok, seriously, onto the actual non herp-de-derp brain drippings…<\/p>\n
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On running\/tris\/racing:<\/p>\n
-You will wax and wane.\u00a0 At your peak, you will wonder how this mileage\/speed\/training was ever hard.\u00a0 You will be standing at the top of that mountain, looking down, and feel the glorious feeling of being able to conquer all.\u00a0 After rest and recovery, you’ll look at that daunting task of getting back to where you were as if you’re at the bottom of the mountain, looking up.\u00a0 You’ll wonder how you climbed that mountain, and wonder if you have it in you again.\u00a0 Always know that you have it in you if you put in the effort.<\/p>\n
-Going from a front 1\/3 of the pack to back of the pack racer in a different sport is a humbling but awesome experience.\u00a0 It makes you remember that first time you ran a 5k, and were just so thrilled to finish, and found that fire in your belly saying “if I can finish, next time I can do better…”<\/p>\n
-Getting beat as a 32 year old by a 67 year old friend is also humbling but awesome.\u00a0 At first, it’s “wtf, HE beat me”, but then realizing that if you’re good to your body, you have 30+ good years of racing in you…. epic.\u00a0 Until I met those folks, I had a ridiculous misconception that I better squeeze my racing into the next few years because it’s downhill from here… SO not true.<\/p>\n
-Setting out a training plan and following it to race day is one of the most rewarding things you can do.\u00a0 Having the knowledge that you are SO ready is a great confidence booster, no matter what the race outcome.\u00a0 On the flipside, having a race where you just wing it and end up with a PR – awesome as well.\u00a0 Sometimes rolling the dice pays off.<\/p>\n
-Dream big.\u00a0 If you can follow a training plan, the adrenaline and crowds will pull you through race day.\u00a0 I went from 10k to a half in 3 months.\u00a0 I spent about 6 months building from never swimming or biking to an olympic tri.\u00a0 You build the miles, and then kiss the sky hoping you can pull it all together on race day.<\/p>\n
-There is nothing wrong with a good cry after a bad race.\u00a0 Just make sure it’s accompanied by a plan to go forward and make sure it doesn’t happen again.\u00a0 Also, make sure it’s actually a bad race (ahem, GG 5k where I placed in the top 20% and my shitty time was because it was a long and hilly course) before you get all emo.<\/p>\n
-All training sessions teach you something, no matter how shitty, mediocre, or awesome they are.\u00a0 Listen carefully and you’ll progress faster.<\/p>\n
-Keeping a training log is invaluable.\u00a0 Being able to have a record of what worked (and probably more importantly what DIDN’T work) is key to be able to replicate.<\/p>\n
-Slow and easy miles should be for a reason (read: not the majority of your training), but they have value at times.\u00a0 To improve, you need at least one butt kicking, deity seeing, religion inducing training session per week at each discipline.<\/p>\n
-Take stepback weeks\/months.\u00a0 You can’t be a rockstar 52 weeks of the year.\u00a0 Find your base you’re unwilling to go below (for me, I need to be able to bust out a 10k, ride 15 miles, and swim a mile at any time – not together) and don’t be afraid to spend some time there to recover in off season.<\/p>\n
-Take a moment at how AWESOME you are in comparison to 99% of the world.\u00a0 No matter how you placed in your last race, you got out there.\u00a0 Which is more than most fuckers can say.<\/p>\n
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On Management:<\/strong><\/p>\n -You have to pay your dues to understand sometimes.\u00a0 If you have a great manager that makes a questionable decision once in a while, give them the benefit of the doubt.\u00a0 Management has so much nuance in navigating egos and politics and compromise that you can’t please everyone all the time.\u00a0 However, you can attempt to do what’s right for your team and your product, and sometimes that means pissing people off.<\/p>\n -A manager doesn’t have to explain their decisions t0 anyone below them.\u00a0 However, a good manager will explain their decisions to their staff as often as they can, and rely on “because I said so” only in the most direst of times.<\/p>\n -You can rule with love or fear.\u00a0 Both are fully valid management styles, and just depends on the individual.\u00a0 As long as the end goal of respect is met, it works.<\/p>\n -You should always be a filter\/translator between your boss and your employees.\u00a0 Sometimes people at the end of both spectrum say one thing and mean another.\u00a0 It is your job to be fluent in both languages and communicate what’s needed.<\/p>\n -Taking responsibility for mistakes is something you have to suck up and do.\u00a0 Both ways – to your employees and to your bosses.\u00a0 A simple, “I’m sorry, I fucked up, and this is how we’re going to fix it” is a good way to start the goodwill flowing back your way.<\/p>\n -Never throw someone under the bus unless it’s the last option and\/or they REALLY deserve it.\u00a0 I’ve seen careers ruined and I’ve ruined careers because of it.\u00a0 The better line is as above. “We fucked up, and this is how we’re going to fix it” rather than “THEY fucked up and they suck”.<\/p>\n -Never stop trying to make things better.\u00a0 Even if your pitches continue to fall on deaf ears, it’s a great learning experience.\u00a0 Always continue to refine the process.\u00a0 Never say “eh, it’s good enough”.<\/p>\n -When something falls apart, nurse your wounds, drink heavily, curse the heavens, and then analyze.\u00a0 What went wrong?\u00a0 What can we do to fix it?\u00a0 Try to never make the same mistake twice.<\/p>\n -The cheapest morale builder is a good solid “Thank you for your hard work”.\u00a0 Call out what is awesome publicly.\u00a0 Deal with what is not awesome privately or anonymously.<\/p>\n -Give people the benefit of the doubt as much as you can while keeping your project moving.\u00a0 Don’t nitpick.\u00a0 Realize that everyone has their own work style.\u00a0 As long as they make their deadlines, and upper management is off your back, it’s fine.<\/p>\n -Defend your team to upper management if needed.\u00a0 They may be too removed from the process to realize that the dude who is always up and walking around is 3 days ahead of schedule, he just needs that time to clear his head.\u00a0 Don’t just be a puppet for the owners\/execs.\u00a0 You have the unique insight into both venues, use it.\u00a0 Likely, you’ll be respected for it by both.<\/p>\n -Take some time to enjoy and appreciate your product.\u00a0 If you don’t believe in it, then you’re doing something wrong.<\/p>\n -Abuse your power just a little every once in a while.\u00a0 Send someone out to grab your lunch when you don’t feel like it.\u00a0 Take a 30 minute break to grab tea.\u00a0 Lounge in someone’s office and BS for 15 mins if you need a break.\u00a0 Spend some time talking shit with other managers.\u00a0 It’s the little things.<\/p>\n -Have confidence.\u00a0 If you’re making a successful product and have a fairly happy team, even if you have self doubt and insecurity, you’re doing it right.<\/p>\n On Life:<\/strong><\/p>\n -Waxing and waning.\u00a0 You’re going to have money, or you won’t.\u00a0 You’ll feel on top of the world, or you’ll feel low.\u00a0 Whatever it is, it will probably pass.\u00a0 Enjoy it while you have it, attempt to preserve it as long as you can, but shit happens.\u00a0 Life happens.\u00a0 Don’t spend your time pining for what you used to have, go out and get what you want.<\/p>\n -Save your fucking money.\u00a0 As soon as you can after you recover from being a broke ass college student, put away a nest egg that can keep you going for a few months if shit hits the fan.<\/p>\n -Take vacations.\u00a0 Leave home and explore.\u00a0 Turn off your phone, get away from email, tv, everything.\u00a0 I promise, no matter what you do, life can handle itself for a little while without you monitoring.<\/p>\n -Do stupid irresponsible shit sometimes.\u00a0 Sure, staying up until sunrise drinking might not be SMART, but it’s likely it will be an EVENT.\u00a0 You’ll probably learn something.\u00a0 Maybe that something is drinking until sunrise is DUMB, but likely not just that.\u00a0\u00a0 I’ve found that sunrise is a very epiphany making experience.<\/p>\n -Let your arguments end with giggles about how dumb you are for arguing.<\/p>\n -Marry your best friend.\u00a0 If you enjoy the company of your friends more than your fiance, you’re doing it wrong.<\/p>\n -If you’re at a fancy dinner, order whatever the fuck you want and enjoy it.\u00a0 No guilt.\u00a0 You don’t get filet mignon or crab w\/drawn butter every day.<\/p>\n -If you find that you’re not the person you want to be, change.\u00a0 It is just that simple.\u00a0 Give yourself time, forgiveness, leeway, patience, and the power of research, but figure out where you want to be and make a plan to get there.\u00a0 If you’re unhappy to the point where you’re contemplating giving up, do something drastic (perhaps, if you’re miserable where you live, up and move to a new town).\u00a0 If you are so miserable you have nothing to lose, try something that can have an awesome return.<\/p>\n -If you find something you have passion for, dig in and embody that passion.\u00a0 Even if it fades or doesn’t work out, you have experienced something beautiful and probably learned a lot.<\/p>\n -Be a good person.\u00a0 Try to keep karma on your side.\u00a0 If you try to do the good thing most of the time, you’ll find life is forgiving when bad happens to you.\u00a0 Even in those situations, if you are a genuinely good person, things will turn out alright.<\/p>\n -Don’t worry so much about what the world thinks of you.\u00a0 Be who you are.\u00a0 If you are truly happy with yourself, in your own skin, the people who matter will love you.\u00a0 Your quirks are probably endearing to them.<\/p>\n -Dance, sing, love, laugh, play, and never forget what it was like to be young.\u00a0 Lay in the grass, throw snowballs, make funny faces at people, make up words, and generally don’t let whimsy pass you by.\u00a0 Basically, when these things seem dumb to you, a little bit of your soul dies.\u00a0 Remember how to have silly, simple, uncomplicated fun.<\/p>\n …and there you have it.\u00a0 Totally random pearls of widsom from moi (just as random as my pictures).\u00a0 Please share with me in the comments what your life lesson to the world would be!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/media.fukung.net\/images\/34139\/14a7abba46d7d96a89a6b5763ab50500.jpg\")
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