I made a mistake today, an error in judgment. Yet it wasn’t all bad. Here’s what happened, what I might learn from it and a few lessons for all of us. Mistakes can sometimes become teaching tools, if we chose to learn from them.

The Background
In the last two months, I’ve started running. Well, more like jogging/walking. This is HUGE for me because even as of now, I’ve never run a complete mile in my entire life. When I was in high school, we could choose between chorus, PE or band. I chose chorus, three music classes my senior year.

Some say I’m blessed because I have a high metabolism and a long, used to be thinner build. I’ve never really had to exercise nor watch what I eat. Until 40. I’m 43 now and for a variety of motivations, I want/need to take care of myself.

In April I took Archie, our golden retriever, to the vet for his 1-year check up. He weighed in at 93 pounds. Our vet said Archie needed to loose about 5 pounds and he needed more exercise. She was right. Truth be told, so did I.

I started out walking in the mornings or afternoons, whenever I could find the time, and I probably got in a mile or two. Fast forward to run/walk/jog in intervals and I’m up to 3-4 miles.

Today’s Run
I woke up tired and almost decided to forego the run but then was determined not to loose momentum. I ate a light breakfast, had coffee (caffeine is really helpful) and drank plenty of water. After I dropped Morgan off at camp, I came home. Archie and I headed out at 9:37. It was probably already close to 80 degrees.

We started slowly, then picked it up and ran a bit. Walked a bit, ran a bit, etc. Before long, I started to get overheated. My skin was hot and red. My scalp and arms had that cold tingly feeling. So I slowed down and took a few rest stops along the way. I popped a couple of icebreaker sours in my mouth to get the juices flowing again and just remembered to pace myself.

Determination
Despite the fact that I was hot, really hot, I continued to push myself to make sure I didn’t quit/give up, call a friend and ask her to come get me.  I even ran a little bit up the second to last hill before I got home. And it felt good! Not physically, of course, but mentally/emotionally.

When I got home, my face, chest and arms were RED! I stretched in the cool of the AC, lay in front of an additional fan, drank lots of water and snarfed up a banana. Before long I was feeling great.

Lessons Learned

• Don’t delay your goals. With summer heat and humidity kicking in, I have to be more intentional about getting out earlier in the mornings.
• Be prepared. I wore heat wicking clothes, good socks and shoes and I had my cell phone with me. I took mints/gum to help with dry mouth. I even took Aveeno lip conditioner with sunscreen in case my lips started to dry out.
• Listen to yourself. I was in tune with my body and realized I was getting too hot.
• Adjust based on variables. Even though I started out with a decent pace, I had to adjust due to the heat/humidity. And I had to do this on the fly.
• Evaluate. As I reflect on today’s run, I can see what went well and how I can improve next time.
• Celebrate. Even little steps forward are progress towards the overall goal. Oreos and milk for afternoon snack!

What mistakes have you made recently and what have you learned from them? If you’re a runner, what other advice would you give me? Is any of this helpful for where you are with your own goals? Leave your comments below.

I’ve recently been reminded of the importance of the basics. My sound advice has not come from the halls of Harvard, the offices of Google, the C-suite of Wall Street, nor the pages of The New York Times Bestsellers List. No, my teachers are 10-year old boys - specifically my step-son and son. Though both boys posses above average intelligence, I don’t ordinarily think of them as child prodigies of the business world. On the contrary! Lately my husband and I find ourselves saying things like,

“Did you wash your hands?” (yes) “Did you use soap?” (no)
“Did you brush your teeth?” (yes) “Did you use toothpaste?” (no)
“Did you wash your hair?” (yes) “With shampoo?” (no)
“Did you take a bath?” (yes) “Did you use soap?” (no)

You see the pattern here? For some unknown reason, truths that were at one time clearly obvious to these boys, are now nowhere to be found in the recesses of their minds. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I would swear aliens landed in our yard, entered our house in the middle of the night and did a mind wipe, at least on the topic of personal hygiene.

I’m Guilty Too
Sometimes I’m just as bad. Not like THAT! I use soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. But on occasion, I still forget the basics of business. Reminds me of the stories I’ve heard of great UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, who is said to have started the first practice of each season teaching freshman players how to put on their socks and tie their shoes to offer the best support. I suspect we all need reminders from time to time. Here are a few I keep learning.

Business Basics
Make the sales calls.
Do the follow up.
Write.

Personal Basics
Have my Quiet Time.
Exercise.
Date Night.

Can you relate? What are the basics you sometimes need to remember? How do you get reminded?