Perception is 9/10ths of the Law

I've been thinking a lot about perception lately. My perceptions, other's perceptions, the perceptions of the group, the perceptions of the individual...I'm in PR, it's what I do.

Yesterday was a 4 mile training run day. That's not the long run anymore. That's just a short daily run. I have to do it at least twice this week. I remember when four miles sounded like a ridiculously long distance. Now that I have to run 6 miles for a long run, four miles seems like a nice break.

Perception is everything.

When I got to Green Lake to meet Goonder to run, the clouds were rolling in, the rain was starting and my motivation (which had been so strong before I spent 35 minutes commuting in rush hour) was waning at best. Beer and a dark pub where I could sulk about my lack of work/life balance sounded like a much better idea. Goonder said NO and four miles later, I had actually enjoyed 45 minutes alone with my music, my thoughts, and my feet hitting the pavement. The sun had come out (literally!) and I'd even managed to solve some of the things that had been plaguing my mind all day. My body was post-run happy high and the funky cobwebs had been replaced by a pleasant sense of self-satisfaction.

Perception is everything.

Finally, it's been crazy busy at work lately (hence my lack of posts). CRAZY. I find myself constantly stressed about the work I'm doing, the work I'm leading my team to deliver, the impact I have on the people who work for me, the impact I have on the people I report to...and the crazier it gets the more I perceive myself as not delivering in the way I know I can. I dream about it at night. Who cares about all the things we accomplished today when there is still tomorrow's problem to solve?

And then I get a note today from one of my team members telling me she thinks the team is absolutely rocking it out this week and she's feeling amped about the whole thing and our great results.

Perception isn't everything.