Aaron's Status

2:43 pm

I was inspired by my coach friend to journal a bit on how my “failures” have served me. Something that arose in our conversation about this was the idea that “failure” itself is a matter of perspective, which is why I’m quoting it.

The most consequential example I can think of is my adventure in coaching. My goal at the start was to build a self-sustaining coaching practice, and I did not do that, in the end. Framed as the outcome of the stated goal, it was a failure.

At the same time, spending a whole year growing as a coach, and deeply reflecting on myself as a part of that, was invaluable. I think I emerged from that experience so much more self-aware, empathetic, and knowing more about my own boundaries. I learned that a self-sustaining coaching business requires constant marketing and constant client onboarding and basically constant coaching.

I find coaching deeply fulfilling; I’ve never felt so much like I can directly change someone’s trajectory for the better than I do when coaching. But for me, coaching is an energy drain, and doing it for hours a day every day wouldn’t be comfortable.

To find the success in this I had to take a step back from the goal of “create a sustainable coaching business” and recognize the even larger goal, “have better work/life balance.” That’s kind of a loaded phrase, but the baseline is not feeling like Sisyphus every day, which is how I felt at the end of my previous job.

I wound up ending my quest for a sustainable coaching business and taking a full-time job, which is the one I have today. In the end, this job has exceeded my expectations, and met my goal of having “better work/life balance.”

Reflection

I have a weird memory. I tend to remember things I don’t expect to, and immediately forget things that others would expect me not to. I can’t change how my memory works, I can only augment it. I use a calendar and reminders and now this microblog to augment my memory.

It occurs to me now that I ought to take note of my “failures” and really interrogate them for other perspectives or angles to look at them from. Without the help of some note, I may just forget that they happened.

Perhaps a good reason to keep up with this thing.

8:19 am

Sick kid

$KID has been, let’s say “mildly” sick, for several days now, and it seemed to me that it was just some kind of cold and he’d kick it, but last night he woke us (at 3:50am of course) because his cough was making it hard for him to sleep.

So off to the doctor he goes this morning to find out if it’s possibly walking pneumonia, which is apparently making the rounds (which is parent-speak for “my kid gave your kid pneumonia”).

This disrupts all of our work plans and so forth, but, it cannot be avoided. Perhaps a little disconnection from work this afternoon can be fruitful.

Podcasting

In just a few minutes I’ll jump into another recording session with my new podcast collaborator for another “draft” conversation. We’re approaching this in a very “start before you’re ready” kind of way, recording the conversations that we want to have and worrying about things like what the title of the show will be later on.

I’ll be honest, I’m not feeling 100% after being woken in the night, but we always have a good time in these chats and I’m sure this one will be no different!

Knee stuff continues

This left knee is still feeling pretty stiff, and I could only do 90% of my physical therapy routine. I skipped the movements that are based on flexing the knee because it definitely still hurts to bend, but it seems to be much less acute.

I remain hopeful that it will be sorted out by Friday, but I’m prepared for the possibility that it will not be.