Noah McCreary retweetledi
This is a passage from my book, Hurdle-isms:
---
Hurdle-ism 2: Shower Well
It was 2004, and our team in Colorado was not playing well at game time. We were streaking the wrong way, and losses were piling up.
Our pregame preparations were solid. Scout meetings, early work, and team and individual attention to detail all were all racing along. But during the games our tires were flat.
After one of the losses, our team president, Keli McGregor, strolled down to my office. I didn't know if he was there to provide support, vent disappointment, or just ask questions to get some answers.
There was no topic that was off-limits between me and Keli, so I was looking forward to getting his take on our slump. I tried to get him involved in baseball game strategy. Keli said he wasn't qualified. I looked him in the eye and said, “Neither am I, but I'm the manager.” We laughed over that one quite frequently.
We challenged each other to be uncommon. Not common men, but uncommon. We wanted to truly make a difference. To create separation. To not be like everybody else. To not accept mediocrity. OK was not good enough.
So as we started to analyze what was happening and not happening on the field, Keli asked me to cut to the chase and give him one thought on what was next.
I looked him in the eye and said, “Shower well.”
He asked me to explain. I shared that the game had done everything it could do to us today. We weren't able to meet its demands, and that was on me. Either we win or we learn. You only lose when you don't learn. So my advice to our organization was to “shower well.”
In other words, wash the events of the day off. Watch them circle down the drain. Truly shampoo – rinse and repeat. Get the grime, dirt, disappointment, frustration, anxiety, and worry of today off of your body and mind and get them clean. Then go home and rest.
Keli nodded his head and said he liked that. He asked if he could use that metaphor with our employees. I said sure and then started thinking …
“Shower well” works in life as well. Think about it. Bad day at work. Grumpy boss. Missed deadlines. No communication. They don't understand me. Bounced check. Lack of guidelines. Hard conversations. Traffic jams in rush hour. Flat tire. Need I go on? You get it.
So many real challenges happen every day to each one of us on our individual journeys. So much is out of our control. It can be overwhelming, like drinking from a firehose. I love that analogy because I've lived it. That is why my reset button has been and will continue to be “shower well.” I get it all off me before I head home. I wash it all off me and get clean. I get ready for what's next.
Do you “shower well”? Give it a try. I think you'll be glad you did.
English
