Rhythm

Today I finally got back to the lap pool at Lifetime Fitness. It's been a couple months, at least, since I was there. Now, I have been keeping up with my running (with a couple lazy periods in between) and a little with cycling (been getting a lot of flats - I am replacing my tire, maybe that will work). However, getting back to swimming was not so good. When I went in today, it took about 15-16 laps to finally get it so I was on a consistent pace. I did make my 1/4 mile but it took some effort to find my rhythm. That happens with a lot of things that we do when we let them go for a while. Trying to find our cadence, our rhythm that we lost due to inactivity.

The last 27 days have been like that for me with being the Arts Director guy: finding my rhythm in the day to day operations. I think I am getting there. It is hard sometimes. Especially this month. I literally hit the job running at almost full speed! Good thing I was in this environment before! I can't imagine what it would have been like for someone brand, spankin new! So I had to find a pace, a cadence on how I would get things taken care of. Now, it isn't about being unflexible, though. Life will deal you curves. But, just like how it is playing an improvised jam with a band, you still have a sort of consistency - an ebb and flow if you will. I mean, the musicians will play their notes and solos all around a basic theme that is going on (like staying in key) and they are still going along with the rhythm that is set. It's the same with the job. I have been trying to figure out, for example, what days I dedicate to what; when and how to keep up my personal connects with leaders; finding the best times to schedule meetings, etc.; and, the most important part, really: when to have the family times and the down times. That has been the hardest part. For 26 days, it has been simply about getting my feet wet (again) and moving and jumping from one place and thing to another. After all, I had 3 months of no outside responsibility and now have many responsibilities!

Today however, I think I reached one of my milestones. I turned off the emails, turned off the phone, turned on the voicemails, and spent time outside of the work environment. It almost felt like that week before I started when I really laid low! So what did I do? Did some cleaning (I let some things go for several weeks). Converted a couple more records to mp3s. Went out to lunch with Mary (who also had the day off today). Went swimming. Got a bottle of wine for tonight. And watched Singing in the Rain (yes, I like that musical! You gotta problem wit dat buddy!). It has been nice. You know what? It will make me much better tomorrow. And the day after. And after that...

I think I am starting to find my rhythm. And the beat goes on...