We all have those projects, or goals, which require us to enlist management skills in order to bring on success. Whether it be qualifying for the Boston Marathon, completing an ultra-marathon, or simply getting through another Christmas without revealing Santa Claus’ true identity, the bigger the goal the more committed we need to be. It goes without saying that staying on top of the necessary tasks to reach that goal is of upmost importance. But that is often easier said than done. Life hands us challenges which tend to trip us up, but commitment and focus help us to stay the course. It’s not only the big goals that pose challenges; even the sub-goals can get tripped up. Take last night for example…
I was running on the treadmill, trying to focus on the run itself, and doing a poor job of it. My mind wandered once again. It does that when I run, and this has been one reason that I love running. Normally, I like that I can run while simultaneously processing the events of the day. On this run, however, I needed to focus and it was images of L that distracted me by creeping into my workout.
The planned workout: 800 meter repeats x 4 with 400 meter recovery intervals. If this workout was a project that I was managing, then these images of L would be likened to scope creep. If you know anything about project management, you’ll know that scope creep can completely derail a project from successfully completing on time (if at all). There are steps which can be taken in order to avoid scope creep such as having a clear vision of the project, prioritizing, defining the deliverables, and identifying actual work requirements.
I took this all into careful consideration:
- clear vision of the project: 800 meters intervals
- prioritize: must be done x 4
- define deliverables: each interval should be completed within in 3:45 – 3:50 minutes
- identify work requirements: 5 miles (1 mile warm up, cool down, and 400 meter recovery intervals)
As I ran, I stared at the green pea-sized dot as it made its way around a ¼ mile virtual track which represented me traveling around an actual track. I tried to maintain focus. When I was on task, I could see the surroundings and feel myself on the actual track as the dot moved. But when images of L hit my mind, I was just running on a moving surface, trying to keep up, and gasping for air in the process. These images – L smiling at me, walking towards me, kissing me – you get the idea. These images can derail a person such me when they appear while one is running on a moving belt. If the belt is moving fast — say at 7.8 MPH — then the danger is even greater. Seeing as how I was running on a new sort of treadmill, equipped with ridged slats built into the belt surface, my tendency towards tripping over my own two feet was even further accentuated.
Most of the time, I managed the project successfully. Knowing that scope creep does occur, I allocated the recovery time for this unavoidable occurrence. So, as I finished off my 4th and final 800, I clicked the button to return the belt to recovery speed (walking pace). I let the image of L come immediately into my mind and TRIPPED. The belt, having not reached the slower speed yet, kept on moving. After I fell, my feet moved to the end of the belt quickly. The ridged slats made a bump-bump sound as they moved over the top of my shoe. Miraculously, I had landed with my hands on the platforms of either side of the mill and simultaneously held my knees up from the belt in plank fashion. After I assessed the situation, I carefully moved my knees to the side platforms, crawled up the side, and returned to my workout as if nothing happened. I *was* noticed in all my grace. Jaws dropped throughout the treadmill area.
After completing the 400m recovery, I entered into my cool down and finished off the workout: right on schedule. My workout was tripped up, but my bigger goal is still under control.