Relax

My self reward for a mostly successful first business trip with my new team was to watch the MLB All Star game. It was the perfect year to watch the all star game as four Giants were in the starting lineup. I scheduled my day such that I would be back to the hotel by 5pm and in front of the TV with peanuts in time for the first pitch. My only question is whether I would actually be able to sit in front of the TV and relax.

As it turned out I got scheduled into a 5pm meeting between the Beijing team and the US team. I had previously told the US team member that I had planned to watch the game and he socially asked me at the beginning of the meeting if I was ready to watch it. Having no idea that this very meeting was ruining the once perfect plan.

After that meeting was over I had an hour before my next meeting at 7pm. The challenge: Sit down and watch and hour of the game. Sure, I had missed the important early moments but I could still enjoy a little bit. Or could I? I sat down, with the laptop in my lap and caught up on work email. I wanted to be prepared for the 7pm meeting. Once caught up, I then took a break which consisted of fiddling with my cell phone for 30 minutes. Then I was up and prepping for the 7pm meeting. Did I relax? Not really. Not even a decent interpretation.

Relaxing in my field is akin to dress down days back when I started my career. Dress down days were good in concept but poorly executed by people used to dressing up for work. Relaxing is similar. You think you are going to relax but you are always connected, always distracted, seldom focused. Which leaves eventually to a brain dead states of hyper cell phone activity and channel changing. Hardly relaxing.

The 7pm meeting begins and I don’t have to say much but have to pay close attention in case I’m asked to chime in. The seldom recognized problem of conference calls especially overseas ones is the so-so audio quality has a tiring effect. For me it makes me the opposite of relaxed. I pace the room with my headset. I get ready to say something and formulate my argument only to realize at the last moment that I had misunderstood the fundamental point. By 7:30pm I an hungry and start to prepare my dinner. By 7:45 I am taking small bites while listening to the call. Not my image of the relaxed self watching the game while enjoying his meal.

The call end and I am so wrapped up in the work that I forget for a moment that the game is still on. It is the eighth or ninth inning. I take out my luggage to pack for my trip home tomorrow. Then it hits me and I sit down for a moment. Then I am back up and packing. As the game comes to a close I realize I need an extra duffel bag if I’m going to fit all this miscellaneous extra stuff I’m bringing home. I put on the headphones and listen to a podcasts as I head out the door walking to the store.

A nice relaxing walk.