The one where I’m a sprinter

Well, another project came and went.  Almost to the day, 5 months ago I started my first website project.  I just hung up the phone with my boss who feels that everything is in place, ready for delivery and so we began basic preparations to start on the next contract.  I do have one lingering issue to work out but nothing major.  Where did the time go?  5 months and an entire project zoomed right by.  Quick, fast and relatively easy. I’ve found over the years that I tend to prefer small contracts.  The gargantuan million dollar projects provide a completely different atmosphere which is not all bad mind you.  For instance, large multi-million dollar projects rarely balk at the purchase of really cool software development tools that smaller projects don’t know they can dream of.  The basics of designing, writing and managing code in a large project with many developers also creates a certain mindset that I believe, lends itself well to small projects as well.  If you can manage a herd of cats you can surely manage just yourself!  The smaller projects provide a sizable sense of accomplishment though, I think simply because in my short career 100% of the small projects I’ve worked on have been deployed.  0% of the large projects I’ve worked on have been deployed.  Funny how that works out. 

I’ve also come to the conclusion that I’m impatient.  Very impatient.  I used to view this quality as simply ambitious.  The word ambitious carries with it a certain sense of accomplishment or success or something along those lines.  I didn’t use the word ambitious to justify this particular aspect of myself, I simply didn’t realize that I’m impatient.  I had no clue.  I just thought I was the type who always needed to be moving forward, making progress … you know, the ambitious type.  I always thought the microwave generation started with people my brother’s age or younger but as it turns out, I’m one of them.  I guess this impatience might further explain why I prefer small contracts.

I do know for a fact that my impatience makes our transition to Section 2 difficult at times and so I apologize to John and thank him for continuing to put up with me.  Sometimes, I’m not sure what the catalyst is, I simply decide that we’re not moving fast enough and start buzzing through plan after plan for increasing the speed of our transition.  After a couple days worth of gentle nudging and encouragement from John, I finally “realize” that time lines for our departure do not exist.   The train (or RV, if you will) can never leave the station without out us.  I’m not going to be late.  I can’t be late.  I will never find myself running, suitcases in hand, down the train station walkway in water filled clown shoes crying out “Wait for me!!!!”  No, instead the train won’t leave until I board the darn thing, power it up and blow the horn.

I’ve never thought of my tendencies towards fast movement and progress before.  I truly am more of a sprinter than a marathon runner.  Although, I have to say, even in the most literal sense I’ve never had even an inkling of a desire to participate in a marathon.  Nonetheless, at least I’m learning new things about myself.  Sometimes I wonder how I can be me and know so little about myself but I guess it’s all part of growing up and changing.  I still wish the RV was here, right now though!

This entry was posted on Thu, Mar 19 2009 at 17:45 and is filed under Vanessa's Ramblings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.