Quality > Quantity

I'm going out on a limb and guessing that you're busy these days. Busy could mean you haven't read a book for pleasure in over a year, or that every day of vacation includes at least a few hours on email.

Maybe busy means your idea of a good day is finding time to take a shower and getting the kids out the door with matching shoes. Sound familiar?

If you have worked with me as a coach, you know that every conversation begins with the following question: What do you need to take away from this conversation to feel your time was well spent?

In other words, I know you're busy and I respect your time, so let's get to work.

Now ask the same question about your upcoming day, your next meeting, your next family vacation. What will it take to make you feel your time was well spent?

If we spent the next hour talking about your future plans —career, family, something else?—what would that conversation entail? What questions do you want me to ask? What questions are you afraid I will ask?

As your coach, it's not the quantity of time we spend together, it's about the quality. My job is to make sure our conversations are focused and productive, so that you walk away with fresh ideas and a better understanding of the steps you are ready to take.  

I have a lot of good questions which could lead to some great conversations. What do you say, ready to get started?

Is Table Tennis a Sport?

I love the Olympics. Who's with me?

I was a pretty sporty kid. Around age 15 my sport was field hockey and I managed to secure a coveted spot on the varsity team after my first season. Eager to keep up and prove my worth, I attended hockey camp and played in a summer league, a manageable commitment level, especially by today's standards.

My Dad, ever supportive of any and all competitive endeavors, told me summer league and camp were fine, but the golf clubs sitting in our garage were there for a reason, so I shouldn't overlook long term goals in the run-up to hockey season. “You will never play field hockey with a client,” he asserted. So far, he was right.

I read a story this week about a four-time Olympian named Lily Zhang who is seeded 19th in Paris and hoping to bring home a medal for Team USA. Her sport? Table tennis.

Lily's parents, by their own admission, are very (very!) proud of their daughter's accomplishments, even donning Team Lily t-shirts in the Paris stands, but they don't hold back when expressing concerns about table tennis postponing her prospects for a stable career. (Their words, not mine.) “We just want her to have a normal job,” says Mom, Linda Liu. “Being a ping-pong athlete is not stable.”

Lily, on the other hand, doesn't want to look back in 30 years and regret a missed opportunity.  Or, in her case, four Olympic opportunities. “I play because it does make me happy, because it is one of the greatest passions in my life,” she says.

I nodded a lot reading this article.

Me: I get it, Lily, you go! You're an Olympian, you love this sport, and —by gosh— you're awesome at it!

Also me: I get it Ma and Pa Zhang. She has a degree from Berkley, and it's not in ping-pong. Let's focus on her future!

What about you? 

Where do your passions and pragmatism intersect? Or do they collide? Or have they never met, you're often too focused on one, at the expense of pursuing the other?

As your coach, it's not for me to tell you how to divide your time between your career and your creative outlets or passion projects. But if you're struggling to find the time to pursue your own interests or plan your next stage, and things feel out of whack, then let's start there. 

Let me know if this is something you've been thinking about, and maybe want to explore further.

In the meantime, Team USA is up against Great Britain in women's field hockey tomorrow. Let me know who you're rooting for. I can at least talk about field hockey with a client, would you agree?