Nothing is Easy...Be Grateful for That

I just spent many hours getting this new DHT episode ready to post. I am grateful for the opportunity to share it, and even more grateful to have these conversations with leaders like Stephen Garden, SVP of Rackspace Technologies. In this episode, Stephen talks about the journey he took to the cloud, overcoming the struggle of embracing a new business model, and shifting focus to evolving for the future. What was striking to me was his ability to do this with no real management experience. Rather, he learned how to hire people well. He looked for people who understood about 50% of what he needed them to know, but had a real hunger to learn the next 50%. He curates his bench with people who have a natural curiosity and are compelled to dive deep. I very much enjoyed hosting this episode, and I like that Stephen recognizes that nothing is easy, and to succeed, it is imperative that you believe, that you have a plan...and you get to work. This is a curious thing, because while anyone can succeed, very few people have the discipline to follow through...which is why it can be easy to fail. Stephen has that discipline. You can access it on my DOHARDTHINGS YouTube Channel. The link to this actual episode is here.

Now...let me share a little bit about what I have learned about this process and about myself.

You need to pace yourself

I don't know if Thanksgiving had anything to do with it, but I had time...and I took time this weekend to learn even more about the process of content editing and found out why people struggle with this aspect of YouTube. Creating content is hard work. I knew that it required discipline, but you really need to want to do this. You need to juggle time, because we all have the same 24 hours to get things done - and with 6-7 hours needed for sleep, you really only have about 18 hours to work with. It takes focus, and it can be stressful.

For me, the pace has been frantic for the last few months. I am sure you have felt it too...it's been impossible to miss. Elections, a surging pandemic, lockdowns. It can be exhausting, and maybe you don't even realize it. Stress affects people differently. I often don't realize I am stressed until it occurs to me that I haven't exercised in a few days. My body gets tired, I wake up tired...I go to bed tired. I don't like the way I feel, and it impacts my mood...which impacts my thinking, and sabotages my plans. And the worst thing I can do is fight it.

Embrace Downtime

This happens to me a few times a year. I suppose it is natural, and I suppose I should learn from it, but I don't. Every time it happens, I fight it, and...I lose. Probably because I am thinking with my head, and not my subconscious - or my soul. I feel like my head does a great job of hiding from stress. When things are uncertain, or too noisy, people tend to actively counter the noise with positive thinking. We sort of trick ourselves into ignoring the constant onslaught of news, stimuli...pain and suffering. You know what I am talking about: "Do Hard Things", "Just Do It", " No Pain, No Gain"...We tell ourselves to focus INWARD and go deep into the pain cave...to suffer through and don't quit. And it does work...for a while. The problem with this trick is that it requires tremendous willpower, and building it takes a lot of time...and incredible physical and mental energy. You cannot do it forever. You need to stop every once in a while - reset your base, and take TIME. And you should do this BEFORE your subconscious stops FOR you. Most importantly - when you do stop, embrace it. The downtime is not sending you backwards, it's preparing you to leap forward.

For the last 10 years, one of these "downtimes" has usually been right around Thanksgiving. It marks the end of at least 10 months of consistent training, capped by either Ironman Arizona or the Tour de Tucson century ride - both held the week before Thanksgiving Holiday. My body knows it is coming, and I welcome it after a punishing race. I have had this routine for so long that it has almost become a reflex for me. My internal alarm clock goes off , and my mind and body start to power down. I really wasn't aware this was happening until this year happened. All through the mess of 2020, I trained hard for IMAZ, only to have it cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns. So there was no punishing race to recover from. I was simply forced to change my focus to April, and Ironman Texas. I figured I would just keep going. However, my body's alarm clock went off...and I powered down. And when I stopped...everything that was building up, the stress, the noise...the struggle of the last 10 months...it all came slowly back into focus. Holy Shit...make it stop.

Stop looking INWARD for a change

I find that when I take a moment to give thanks, it gives me a feeling of calm. I like to do it out loud. Maybe you find the idea of giving thanks cliché. We often chafe at the idea of sharing out loud what we are thankful for. I get it. It seems corny, but not because it IS corny. Some people just don't give it enough thought, and if someone asks you to share what you are thankful for..it can be hard to come up with something you think is worth saying, on demand. Fear of judgement is always lurking. And that is because giving thanks is often a private thing. It's something we do alone, in the dark...maybe even through prayer. This is a good thing. It forces me to look OUTWARD, to emerge from my self imposed exile in the pain cave and remind myself I am not alone, and that I don't need to suffer alone...that there are others who give your life purpose. Giving thanks makes the noise and suffering...go away.

Recognize Inspiration

The next 5 weeks are something of a 5th season. It marks the end of a long year, and the anticipation of a new one. It is a period of reflection, of what worked, and what didn't. Of what you gained, and what you lost. But most importantly...it is a time to think of the people who inspired and motivated you to keep moving forward. It's a season for giving thanks.

So, I give thanks for the friendship I have built with Stephen Garden, who was the first person to reach out when I decided to DOHARDTHINGS. His story inspires me to do more, and I am grateful to share his story with others.

PS. I got my first Xmas card today. It reminded me of the impact I have on others, and my ability to inspire. I am not ashamed to say it brought a tear to my eye. Thank you for that, Xander.

m-

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