The threes

I can’t say this often, but on days like today, I truly enjoy my job. I feel as though I am on the upswing of that bell curve of good days and bad; as though a bit of triumph lies within my grasp. When times are tough—as they have been—a more perfect team forms. There is no “first to arrive” and “last to leave” because it’s all of us. It’s all of us drinking the three to four cups of coffee a day. It’s all of us wishing to run outside, even into the rain, just to enjoy some air that didn’t come from a dusty duct of an 11 story building. It’s all of us who go goofy when the clock strikes three and slap-happy laughter ensues. It’s all of us who crowd into conference rooms and fight the urge to yawn and lean over the table to talk strategy.

And there’s something to appreciate in all of that.

I have a good friend in Los Angeles who I often talk to about work matters and business. He takes his career very seriously and has a work ethic that puts most people to shame. On several occasions he has mentioned to me the two sets of “threes” that Coach John Wooden went by:

Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal.
Don’t whine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses.

It’s going to be a tough 2009. I will reference the Two Sets of Threes often.