Tingling in the Green Zone

It’s happening again.  I recognize that old, familiar rush.  It’s what happens when I’m where I’m supposed to be doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

I’ve got a new job.  I’ll be teaching two courses (three classes) of reading strategies at the local community college.  These classes are designed to review read-to-learn skills and help beginning college students get up to speed for dealing with college-level reading materials.

I’m excited.  In addition to just plain old loving to be in the classroom, I’m especially excited at the encouragement potential in teaching these particular courses.  Some students will be eager for the opportunity afforded by these classes.  Some students will be put out that they are required to take them, placed by virtue of their skills assessment test scores.  I want to affirm the former, and nurture and persuade the latter.

I love it when I say “yes” to something that is a good fit.  Don’t you just know it in your bones when that happens?  That’s why there are tasks that seem heavy and cumbersome to some people, while the same duties are a breeze and a delight for others.  People who analyze these things call the latter “working in your green zone”.  The former is functioning in one’s red zone.  It’s there that we are drained and depleted over the long haul.  We can get tired in our green zones, too, but it’s what some people call a “good tired”.  My friend Nancy, for example, is working on a big project this week for the children’s choirs for which she works–but, she’s the woman for the task, so her exhaustion at the end of the week, when it’s all over, will be because she’s poured herself out right where she’s meant to be.  On the other hand, we probably all know people who have faithfully functioned for years in tasks or jobs that weren’t really a good fit (yellow zone–they could do it, but….–or maybe even in their red zones) .  When their “tour of duty” finally ended, they could walk away without ever looking back and, if you saw them a month removed from their service, you’d remark at how refreshed and rested they were looking.

It’s always a good idea to take the occasional look at the “zones” in which we’re functioning.  Of all that I’m involved in, what energizes me?  (green) What am I doing that I can do in an okay manner, but it leaves me stressed and overeager for it to be done? (yellow)  In what realms of life am I daily dreading the tasks and finding myself drained and depleted regularly in the doing? (red)  The start of a new school year is a good time for some of us to evaluate.  Could it be time for a drop or an add to your course of life?