Friday, November 21, 2008

Raisinets and apple juice

Sometimes my curiosity has hindered my life - just when I get going in one direction, any directions, I spot something else out of the corner of my eye and dart off to check it out. Some call this a lack of commitment or ADHD. I call it an uncontrollable commitment to learning. So match this up with my occasional insomnia and love of working very hard, and I get myself caught up in some very...interesting...adventures. 

This week, I launched a very large project which I will be advertising once it officially goes live and makes it past the test hurdles. I've been zig-zagging up and down the east coast this week, knocking down hurdles with my 2-ton bat. At one point, I made the mistake of calculating how many hours I had been awake: 39.5. Scary...but worth it in the end. 

I was in the Philly airport dining on a sumptuous dinner of Raisinets and apple juice. I was so exhausted that I could barely sit down - sounds counter-intuitive, though think of it as the jitters from too much adrenaline pumping through your system for too long. The thought of a full meal was making me a little queasy. So I opted for my beverage and candy of choice. Just enough to re-fuel and sending me packing off on another business trip, while I was only midway through my travels from the previous trip. 
  
Prior to my "Dinner of Warriors" as my friend, Stephen, called it, I just didn't think I could do any more. I was so worn out and frustrated and disappointed. All I needed to do was take a deep breathe and re-evaluate. And that re-evaluation helped me take the long view. Did this suck a little bit right now, canceling all my personal plans for the week, eating candy for dinner, and living in the same clothes for several days as I got sent off in every which direction to keep the wheels on the bus that is my product launch? Sure. But I have a little secret - I kind of like the rush and the excitement of churn and the unknown. It's when I feel most alive. And this tough economy, it's not such a bad trait to have. And today when I advocated for the product to launch and received the green light, it was worth it. Well worth it. 

So now that I am back and cozy in my New York apartment, smiling and on my way out for a celebratory drink with my friend, Cindy, I know if need be, I'll do it all over again. And my guess is that the need will indeed exist in the not-so-distant future. Next time, I'll remember a change of clothes and a toothbrush. There may be a lot of Raisinets and apple juice in my future.   

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