A Day Off & Lessons That It Provided
By Kathy Condon

A recent issue of Business Week stated effective leaders often have coaches.   I smiled for not only am I a business coach, bur my coach was the very reason I had taken the day off and was spending time at Cannon Beach, Oregon.   My coach emphasized that once we get ourselves out of our normal environment we will learn and often see things from a different perspective. 

After weeks of constant rain in our area, I was thrilled to wake up to bright sunshine.  In the distance was Haystack Rock.  After breakfast, I thought to myself, I am going to walk on the beach and go up there.  Quietly, a goal was set.

Upon entering the restaurant, I noted that a couple that I met the night before was having coffee and reading the paper in the corner.  They suggested I joined them.  Eagerly I did for a group of us had learned that he had defected from Russia 12 years ago.  His stories about the how and why he left were fascinating.    Walking away, I realized how fortunate we are to live in the United States all of our lives.

Not forgetting my goal, I bundled up and headed for the beach.  There the beach was stretching out in front of me in all of its glory.  The huge waves were crashing in the brilliant sunshine.  My journey was just beginning.

Going down the stairs, I noticed all the trash that had washed up during the night.  One wonders how people can let this happen.  Yet, that is a whole other article.  This one is about my journey to meet my goal.

At first the beach stretched out before me and walking was easy for it was flat and compacted.  The water quickly rushed back into the ocean.  Before long, I came across a very wide channel that had been cut into the sand with water about one foot deep.  There was no way through it, so I looked and could see that there was a way around it.  I took the time and went way up to the source where rocks were strategically placed.  By being very careful with my footing, navigation was possible to reach the other side.   The beach once again became flat and my journey continued. 

There, suddenly, another channel of deep water appeared.  I stood there and thought that I might as well go back.  Yet, through the corner of my eye, I saw there was something in this channel quite a distance up toward the bank.  Taking that detour turned out to be a really good move for there across the way laid a plank someone had placed there.

I had two choices:  either turn around or do a balancing act and traverse the plank and keep heading toward my “quiet goal.”   Deciding to keep moving toward my goal proved to be the “right decision.”  I easily did a balancing act across the plank and found myself on the other side.  Knowing, of course, if I did it once I could do it again on the return trip.

My journey continued as my mind cleared.  The brilliant sun beat down on me.  My coach was right - I was already feeling renewed.

Suddenly appeared still another channel of water flowing back to the sea.  I smiled for this time the channel was not very deep.  There were numerous areas were there was sand high enough to stay out of the water.  Gingerly I leaped from one dry spot to another dry spot.  When I looked up, I found myself standing in front of Haystack Rock.  One cannot but feel in awe when you stand there - its’ majesty is something that is very hard to describe.

After about an hour it was time to retrace my steps back to my room.  The “quiet goal” was met and along the way a number of things were reinforced:
 

1.     Set a goal.

2.     Realize sometimes the goal may take you through rocky times.

3.     Realize sometimes the goal may take you through a balancing act.

4.     Realize sometimes the goal may have you leaping from one place and another.

5.     During the accomplishment of any goal, a number of decisions need to be made.

Yes, I highly recommend you stop what you are doing and take yourself some place where you cannot be interrupted by telephones, emails or people needing something immediately.  When I got home, there was nothing that happened that couldn’t wait until my return.   The next day I accomplished far more than I normally do in a day and ideas flourished - including the storyline for this article.

Kathy Condon is an Executive Coach Certified in Performance Coaching-Positioning Others for Success”, Career Facilitator (GCDF), Speaker and Trainer.  She an expert on business communications and regularly speaks and trains on building relationships, including Intergenerational Communications in the workplace. kathy@kathycondon.info (360)695-4313  Sign up for her “Weekly Wisdom”---a positive way to start out your week at www.kathycondon.info.

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