6:01am... F*%&$!!

I just finished working with a client. We met at 5:45am. Working with others at this hour of the morning is not completely easy for me- and so I make a concerted effort be in a certain state of mind. To be up and awake, alert and completely ready before coming into contact with another human being at a time during the day when most humans are fast asleep with an hour or two left on the alarm clock. I like to think that I usually succeed.

Last week we scheduled a training session at 6am- same place as usual- 200m from my front door just south of the Santa Monica Pier. I had a workout planned and printed out; my watch, equipment, towel, clothes and shoes set out on the floor to avoid any last minute, early morning rushing around. A good thing.

When my eyes peeled open that morning it still felt early- a medium blue just barely breaking through gray haze. I could feel the early morning ocean air . I laid there quietly in bed for about 30 seconds before picking up my phone to turn off the alarm that was expected it to ring at 5:30am. But it was already 6:01.

"F()*^&)(*&)(*&)(*+&k!"

That was the first word out of my mouth. The only word I bothered to pronounce as I instantaneously and very dramatically began bouncing around the room getting ready to meet my client. Obviously skipping my normal deliberate and calm morning routine- I was out the door in just under 4 minutes, arrived at the meeting spot still chewing on toothpaste, tell-tale sheet creases on my face, and slightly out of (bad) breath. The only reason my eyes weren't filled with crust is because I decided to take a few extra seconds to wash my face and put on my contacts. My client wasn't there... but at 6:08am he jogged up and reported that he went for a short warm up jog and figured I would arrive soon.

I sent him out for another 400m, making a decision to compose myself. I swallowed the toothpaste, took some deep breaths, looked over the workout plan I had written, and was now ready to work.

A panic-filled start gave way to a good morning session. I am definitely glad to have taken the few extra minutes to put myself together and get into a mental space required to relate one-on-one with another person that early in the morning. This isn't something I do automatically. My immediate reaction to most things is to jump right in without thinking, rather than responding calmly to what comes up.

Reacting vs. Responding.

"F)(*+&#%k!" as the first word in my day... reaction.
"Send him on a quick 400m jog." as a way to create some space... response.

Like I said earlier, reacting is what comes naturally for me. Well, for everyone really- if we want to go scientific, it is part of fight or flight. Punch it before it attacks you, take off running before it eats you. But what I have been practicing recently is creating some awareness around these instantaneous reactions... being in that space for a second- not even a second, but an instant- and making a decision to respond to the stimulus rather than continuing to run in panic mode.

Yes, I think it is actually a decision. The awareness that can be created immediately following a built-in, hard wired, knee jerk reaction can be used to determine what happens next.

"F)*&^(*&^!" was followed by about 4 minutes of panic- with a little presence of mind to wash face, put on contacts, ingest some toothpaste, and sprint to predetermined location. Yet, I hesitate to take any credit for these actions- I chalk them up to modern day fight-or-flight instincts.

What I DO take credit for is the awareness that I had that I still needed a few more minutes to compose myself. That I actually sent the client away (for his own good as well as my own!)- so that I could get in a state of mind where I could do my job mindfully rather than continue to run in reaction mode.

So I chose to decide to respond rather than continue to react.

HOMEWORK: Comment about a time you chose to RESPOND rather than REACT.

Then... GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY