Musing

-1C/30F, light overcast, fresh like a spring morning walk – if it were only spring – snow is soft, ice is hard, navigation is challenging but it must still be winter because Gusta pulls like a sled dog

I would like to be that clear about it, but doubt creeps in

doubt creeps in when theoretical goes out the window, the unexpected arrives & someone says ‘what do you think?’ or, on occasion, someone says or does something so ridiculous they NEED to be told what I think!

I’ve been wondering about what sets mood for the day?

is it breakfast, how much fun or sleep I had or did not have last night; is it adrenalin euphoria from closing a deal (or the lack of it when I don’t) ?

what is it that determines my zeal-level du jour?

is it having a clear sense of my values, knowing my needs, wants & desires deeply enough that I can read situations well, make decisions, make the better choices because each opportunity is measured against something deep within me?

aside from a little left-over residual angst from the day before that sometimes creeps in, I think it starts early; it starts when I get up & start my morning routine; it does not seem to matter whether I am up at 4AM or 7 – the bleary eyed first hour of routine & dog walking is more mood setting than mood altering

it is impossible to push out of my brain the schedule, workload & demands on time for the day which are already determined – they come from a schedule, from the spray of paper across my table that I prioritized the night before

first thing in the morning I have no idea of the calls, emails, faxes & brainwaves that will alter my entire day before 9:30 – but my mood is clear

I am focused/intense/driven . . or relaxed/open/flexible; OK, so there are some of you who’ve not seen (or read) of me in either state – sometimes I am between those mindsets, but is that really a description of mood?

is this shifting a mood swing, or just shifting?

on days when I am pushed, rushed, late or overloaded I start my day with an edge I have a tough time shaking the ‘focused/intense/driven’ throughout the day, wishing for respite but not usually finding it + not sleeping well to boot

conversely, some days I walk around like there is a cushy cloud under my feet (no, this is not a Dr. Scholl commercial) – lighter on my feet for no physical reason (note to self ..GO to the gym today), I am ‘relaxed/open/flexible’ for the most part but unpredictable fluctuations of the day ahead may alter it

this morning I have a day without scheduled meetings or ‘must do’ errands; just much work on my plate without too much rating urgent treatment status; I cannot play hooky, but I can pace myself a little, spend time on some things that have been set aside a little of late

mood is a funny thing – not something I can control, but certainly something that responds to influence

on a day like today – well rested, well slept . . . well, running late . . . I am not bothered; the calls will come, the fax machine will burp & e-mail in box will bring its share of surprises

which ‘mood’ day is my most productive personally & professionally?

which is the day I should just turn off the world & drive to Banff, which is the day I should make the bold calls, float the brandspankin’ BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) ?

which day makes my world better?

whatever it is, it starts early

not always lasting long, but it starts early

Mark

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