lowering the bar

once i became a mom, i learned very quickly (during those 17 hours in labor and delivery) to lower my expectations. it should be the mantra of the “What to Expect” series, but maybe they wouldn’t sell many books with the slogan “Expect Less”. it’s sort of a survival skill that i’ve applied universally throughout my life, perhaps out of convenience, but maybe more out of necessity to maintain sanity.

lowering your expectations increases your opportunity for success. no kidding.

i felt like shit the entire day today. my pillow was damp from my tearing left eye when i got up this morning. my nose is raw from tissues. my lips are chapped from mouth breathing. yet i made it through the workday as a productive individual. that was a success.

i participated in an hour-long conference call, and stayed alert enough to hit the mute button every time i blew my nose. i contributed. that was a success.

i reviewed a report (partially), but i am making progress. that was a success.

i scheduled and participated in a project review. although this is one of my responsibilities, it requires buy-in and participation from project managers. something about the proverbial “greased pig”? or maybe, i’ve just become accustomed to being ignored. anyway, a relatively inexperienced project manager, a new project, a new business group leader, and we held a successful review in the allocated hour. that was a success.

i beta-tested a new software application. the only instructions provided were installation instructions. i navigated around it slowly (uh, fits and starts as they say?) but i did not completely crash the system, and i had some valuable input in terms of bugs. That was a success.

i can’t say it was a perfect day by any means, but looking back, it appears as though i’ve accomplished something. and something’s better than nothing. a lot better.