A friend and mentor of mine once described leadership as being inconvenient.
I believe it's true; making decisions that can affect others and yourself can
be... inconvient... but as long as you're confident in your decision, you should
hold your head high despite the opportunity costs.
This evening I was scheduled to play poker on our monthly game. I have a
hard and fast rule about this game: I am committed to going. I made a commitment
to the league, and so I am duty bound to not let anything else get in the way,
generally. I've reluctantly bowed out of last-minute family engagements because
of this.
Well, when I looked at my watch this afternoon I recognized that there was
no way I would be able to make the game AND retain my exercise streak. I'm closing
on 30 days here — I can't just throw that away. So I got out on my walk, hoping
it'd be enough and I'd be able to squeeze in both — but at about the halfway
point of my route, there was just no way I was going to be able to burn what I needed
to burn, plus get ready and make the drive to the game in time. The responsible
call to make was to tell the group to count me out.
Of course I'm not happy about missing game night. It's my one night every
month I get to spend with friends. But the exercise is more important to me — I knew
I'd be spending the next five hours in a chair, and there was just no way I'd be
able to make my daily goal with five hours cut out of my evening.
Of course, I'm going to have to explain myself to Laurel. That part I mentioned
above about bowing out of family commitments? She's celebrating her sister's birthday
without me this evening, again because I'd made the commitment.
I feel bad enough that I've missed a birthday celebration for my sister in law,
even though it wasn't planned at the time we scheduled the game. So now, got going
to the game... oof. I'll come clean when Laurel gets home, but I wouldn't be right
with myself had I gone.
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