Last week (under very cold conditions) I stepped out on to the rugby pitch for the first time in about two years.
We ran the equivalent of about 5 miles (some at a jog, some at a sprint) and ended up shedding a lot of clothes (and sweat and weight and…) during the process.
Why, pray tell, am I doing this, you ask?
For a host of reasons:
What a great way to let off steam and stress!
Alex playing rugby in 2002.
Because I can.
To take my fitness regimen to the next level.
Because it’s cool to say “I am entering the fourth decade of playing rugby”.
But really, I see it as a means to have consistency in how I live and what I do; in a recent conversation with a potential new employee (who is also on this team), I mentioned that we practice at CSR “Contact Consulting”. He cocked his head at me and asked if we had coined that phrase; I just pulled it out of my rear pocket – so to speak – and perhaps it’s used elsewhere. The net message is that we engage. We care about what we do and for whom we do it and express that caring in the active and involved manner that we do what we do. Yes, we lead (and do a great job) strategic planning sessions. These are our bread and butter and we excel at them – where the magic really happens, though, is when it’s time to implement them. Much like in rugby where you not only pass the ball but then you are supposed to follow up and continue to be part of the play, that’s what we do.
I’m playing rugby at 50 because it gives me a sense of continuity and coherence.
At least until I break something.