Another greenhouse idea

Ran my mile and a bit with Nicky this morning, and then added my own "top up". Damp, windy but loved it. I do like running in the daylight.

Yesterday was my son's birthday so we went out for a nice meal in the evening, with the added bonus that I got to see my almost seven-week-old granddaughter again. She is now able to do the hugest smile when you are able to amuse her. Just gorgeous.

Had yet another great idea on the solo part of my run this morning - once again an idea that needs tending in the greenhouse before I transplant it into the open garden.

Anyone would think I was a gardener!

Connection

Early (5.45) one this morning as I had my regular monthly business breakfast meeting.

Still drizzly, but not raining as hard as yesterday.

I've also found out that my headtorch works much better with a woolly hat on than with a peaked cap. I have to balance the rain in the eyes versus ability to see the path or road ahead. When I run on a fair amount of path or "unmade up" road, I think the rain in the eyes is a small sacrifice.

I really enjoyed the business breakfast meeting this morning. It's tough to get up even earlier than usual, but it more than compensates by meeting loads of friendly people and having a laugh.

With a run to kick it off, I can recommend it as a great way to start the day.

Yesterday, apart from my early morning run in the dark, I worked from my office at home and didn't venture outside.

I love to have connection with people, with fresh air and with natural light.

Five to nine

Two-miler this rainy, rainy morning, which was fine except I forgot my gloves. Very cold hands.

I took my iPhone and earphones with me yesterday when walking a couple of dogs using the walk as an opportunity to thrash out some ideas using the voice recorder on my iPhone.

I wondered out loud why, when I had written down what I thought my goals were for the week on a whiteboard in my office, rather than feeling energised and empowered, I felt overwhelmed and confused with where to start?

Whilst talking, I remembered, from my NLP practitioner training a few years ago, the magic of the number seven.

A pyschologist carried out a survey on how humans deal with information, and he discovered that the maximum number of pieces of information a person can deal with or "process" is seven, plus or minus two, hence five to nine.

When I got back from my walk I looked at my whiteboard and, rather than a few clear goals on there, I counted sixteen items that were really things to do.

The first thing I did was wipe out anything that wasn't a goal I wanted to achieve, and I kept going until I had nine or less.

I got the list down to eight, which I thin prioritised into the top five, then the next two, and the final one.

Funnily enough, I now feel focused and energised, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of my day.

I don't know

I had a bad night's sleep last night, and lay awake for over two hours.

I didn't want to turn my light on and read as I thought I might wake my better half, and I didn't want to get up because it was cold, and if I opened drawers and cupboards to get something to put on, once again I might do some waking.

So I tossed and turned, the frustration building.

When my alarm went this morning for my run, I REALLY didn't want to get up but I forced myself grudgingly.

Then I had a kind of epiphany moment.

I've often espoused that there is usually learning to be had from painful experiences. So, what if there was learning to be had from my night time trial and from my tired morning?

Just that thought lifted my tired place of resisting the morning and I immediately felt better. I don't know what that learning is, but just the thought that there might be, was enough to energise me.

Then I thought of my running every morning. There is a perverse kind of self-inflicted suffering in getting up in the dark when everyone else is still in bed and going out into the freezing cold to run, when it's the last thing my body wants to do at that moment.

My body always appreciates it once I'm back though.

Then I thought about the power in "I don't know". If I knew, or thought I knew what my learning was then I would naturally stop being open to an answer. However, as long as I don't know, then I am permanently open to what that learning might be.

And as far as I'm concerned permanent openness is a great place to be.

Anyway, I had a pleasant enough run in the dark and the cold, and now I feel great, AND I still don't know!

Back in the dark

My first early morning (pre 7am) run this morning as school is back and so is work.

It was hard to get out of bed, but fine after I'd had some tea and written my journal.

I really must replace the batteries in my head torch, as it was tricky running up the sludgy mud on the first hill on my anti-clockwise short route, because I couldn't see clearly enough in the dark.

Went to see my daughter performing in the panto Aladdin in Colchester last night, which was great fun again (2nd time).

Looking forward to the first full week of 2011.

Now to sort out what I want to achieve this week.