#802 in the zone

A week ago, I was out of town to do an assessment of a division at another university.  It was a case of somebody-knowing-somebody who knew me, and I was invited to come in and provide a fresh look at the structure and staffing that was in place.  Another colleague and I received a 24# box of materials in the mail prior to our visit, then we interviewed people in person for three days.  I left with a notebook full of notes and a head full of ideas.

Unfortunately, information in that format is not easily sharable.  So I spent most of Saturday trying to translate and type up comments, create an executive summary and compile appendices to somehow translate my observations into a meaningful format.  

About an hour after I reluctantly drug myself into my home office, I got immersed in my task.  It became a giant puzzle to assemble and a personal quest to finish the work that day.  Somewhere in there, I got lost in the zone.  I worked on it for hours, took a break for dinner, and willingly was back at it again. 

The screen saver on my computer says: "The secret to getting ahead is getting started."  It is good advice that I don't always heed, but this weekend was validation that it is true.  Keep the mantra in mind the next time you are putting off a task that seems undesirable or daunting.  Just start, and more often than not, the energy will follow.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
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