A big goal of mine in the next six months is to really get back to my old habits of ultra time organization in order to have more of the unrestrained free time and less of the guilt. My scribbled lists need to be organized into notes and I owe it to myself to be honest about timelines and what matters.

Lamenting about how there isn’t enough hours of the day feels hollow and unnecessary now. There are plenty of hours – it’s how you use them. I speak like I know what I’m talking about, but really I just have to say it outloud (and type it a few times) to hopefully get the message personally.

We’re launching new things tomorrow. Lots of hard work, finally to be revealed.

I’m bouncing off the walls and it’s probably fair to assume I will not be getting much sleep tonight.

Image via Wikipedia

This was probably the best Valentine’s Day ever.

It’s very likely that I’m not an easy person to shop for. Nor am I laid back enough that I would turn to Adam and ever say…

“Let’s just skip it this year.”

I love this holiday. I know so many people who loathe this holiday. But here are the things I don’t like on Valentine’s Day.

1. Restaurants – crowded. Totally un-fun.
2. Chocolates – predictable, predictable…
3. Roses – so unbelievably expensive and stupid.

This leaves him with the simple task of figuring out what to do without playing into the top three stereotypes of the day. Other clichés like champagne, cheesy chick flicks and lots of mushy “I love youuu…” exchanges are (and were) welcomed.

It was a great day. Hardly any computer time, blackberry on silent and stowed away. Next year will mark the 10th year that Adam has been my valentine…

He’s got a lot of planning to do in the next 12 months to top this one.

Image by rudolf_schuba via Flickr

I’ve been going to the Starbucks in our building for months now. Months and months of London Fogs and grande dark roasts. Up until today, there has been absolutely no acknowledgement from the five or so baristas that are usually on duty when I’m there. I certainly don’t expect anyone to roll out the red carpet, but you would think by the time I’ve ordered the same drink every day for three months in a row…I would have some sort of (at the very least) unspoken rapport.

Nope. Nothing.

Vacant stares, the rare, bland “hi there…”. No recognition – even when I try to offer a chipper “remember me?” hello.

I enjoy becoming a regular. I like that the places I frequent start to notice that I’m there all the time.  I know it’s weird, probably very self centered, but it’s true. I just do. Erratic vows to never go back there again would never come through (it’s right there) but were passionately voiced from time to time.

So tonight, when the barista offered me a free cupcake because she noticed I’m a regular…this icy heart melted.

It’s not about where you work, how big of a chain, or small of a mom-and-pop shop you are. Plenty of independent coffee shops are impersonal – and I’ve been in my fair share of big name locations that are as friendly and welcoming as if I was actually invited into someone’s homes.

It’s about who you hire, how you treat them, and how they connect with your customers. It wasn’t about the cupcake – though it sweetened the deal – it was that for a second I wasn’t just #120938 behind the counter, I was a person. I am a person. And like all people, I like to think I matter.

Have you given your customers a cupcake today?

I work long hours, but I can’t say that the entire time spent is 100% efficient. Sure – there are times when I find myself up at 2am plugging away at something. But maybe that’s because I hit a wall at 1pm and had to take a break from accomplishing all on my to-do list. Or perhaps there was a last minute meeting that came up. Crisis that needs to be averted? Mass communication that can’t wait? Efficiency land mines get in the way all the time, and it’s part of my job (and a part I happen to love, much as it can be frustrating in certain moments) that I actually love.

I somehow can’t imagine pushing paper around all day, then coming home to the same routine every night, only to be followed by a bedtime that comes around like clockwork. It’s such a rush to be on a deadline, even when that deadline is totally self imposed. If I learned anything from University, it’s that my tendency to procrastinate when I’m not challenged can be put to good use if the conditions are just hectic/exciting enough. And they are. So, if you catch me hanging around my computer at 2am,  it’s actually just part of my “stream of typing with brief bursts offline” work routine. Somehow it helps to keep me going far better than the monotony of 9-5 ever would.

2. Now I can’t trust you.

3. I don’t want to visit you on another site. I’m on twitter. Here. Twitter.

4. Form emails = bad form – you are no different.

5. I just unfollowed you.

I try to be honest with myself in the morning and ask…”Is this a 9:00am day?” – maybe I’ll feel a little guilty for walking in at 10:00…but that extra hour just might mean the difference between solid productivity minute to minute versus distinct gaps of time where my brain is still pretending I’m snuggled under the covers.

This is something I do wrestle with. I like having tasks complete or semi-complete at night. But I also like to get a head start on the day. Lately the former work persona has been the norm…but I expect when we get back to bright sunny mornings, that might just change again.

In the meantime, the best thing I can do when things get hectic is to pace myself, be patient, and take things one step at a time. There’s always tomorrow. But first I have a few more things I need to get done “today”…

Aggregation of both my writing and photos? Just a photo with a goofy face giving the thumbs up? Maybe my favorite stuff…oh wait, then I would run out of material here. Har, har, har..

I’m all ears if anyone has ideas – maybe videos? Yeah, I rarely dedicate a moment to blogging here, I don’t think I’ll be videoblogging anytime soon. Gosh,  but what if I did…

Alright, no conclusions or thoughtful endings for this post. I still have no idea what to do with that darn URL.

Working in a team is (or should be) a naturally collaborative, competitive, healthy environment. Yep, that’s right – collaboration and competition do not have to be two distinct feelings. I’ve seen people work amazingly well together who were vying for top spot…but still supported each other where it counted. In many ways, their mutual competitive tendencies made each of them stronger.

So where do you draw the line?

When competition holds you back from working with the people around you, it becomes impossible to be a team. The word team becomes a joke even – you’re a lone wolf doing “work” but not contributing in to the best of your abilities – or to the greatest benefit for the company.

Compete. But support each other. Don’t forget that at the end of the day you are on the same team and you should be pushing each  other and holding each other accountable. After all…it’s easy to complain to others about how inadequate your team mates are.

But if that’s how you feel…don’t you ever wonder what they think about you?

In order of priority –

1. Get the job done.

2. Get the job done.

3. Get the job done.

Your own personal moment to shine is totally and utterly secondary. Or rather…fortherary?

Well, for a limited time they come in colors.

Yes, yes, yes – this might be defeating the whole intent of what the moleskin stands for and it’s possible that Hemingway and Picasso would frown but I don’t care…

They are so pretty.

So yes, I brought two of these darling little notebooks home. Now I am staring at them with fondness and love…along with massive expectations for all the brilliance that will undoubtedly spill out of my brain and onto each page.

Image: Moleskinerie