It wasn't the highest impulse I ever had, but it was not an opportunity to pass up.

My latest work assignment had been something of a breeze. Self-directed work from home, only the lightest of check-ins and the vaguest of objectives. It didn't exactly surprise me when it canceled within weeks. It left me with a problem: preserving a good relationship and showing worthy results, from something that started too slow and ended too early.

After that, my next work assignment was looking somewhat different. It seemed like something urgent, but not yet formed. Serious pitfalls, serious opportunities, a legitimate chance to affect outcomes. Indications that the deck would be stacked somewhat against me. Just the sort of gig that I hadn't seen in years, and the kind that I allow to grind me up. Enough of a pain in the ass to be good for me.

Of course, the scheduling worked out backwards, and I found myself negotiating to be released from one job early so that I might take up the second one. They'd asked for a couple of days; after all the talking, it turned into one. So my last week's work was to happen in four days, less the half a day it cost me to talk about the logistics. That added a little adrenaline to solving that problem I had left.

In that final meeting, I wound up sitting on a buzzing phone. I resolved to ignore it, it was probably the logistics call I didn't need for hours yet, and I had a good relationship to preserve. When I walked out the door, it was already after hours, and I was far more interested in seeing friends and beers than in playing phone tag. The voicemail stayed unheard through most of the night.

Mischievous of me, maybe; it's the sort of harmless thing I do on occasion, and never talk about. It was the best idea I'd had in a while, though - added excellent flavor to the celebratory evening.

Before I slept, however, the beers had cleared enough for me to want to hear that voicemail, and start the planning for the day ahead. I was puzzled when I listened, since it was not from my office. (From a recruiter, if you must know - every so often, I have a day when I'm popular - this week, it was Thursday.) I realized I had no idea how I was going to kick off the next thing.

I rose early, shaved, and dressed like a responsible individual, and called the office to make connections barely minutes into the business day. Turned out there wasn't a deal yet - distracted client dragging feet, contract issues preventing the signing. I showed the right fraction of annoyance, told them I'd be finishing the week at home, and they should email me details as they happened. I hung up and changed into my jeans.

When I got back to my basement desk, my phone was blinking. Sure enough, people had started making calls and they wanted me out there that day. This after I'd stood down from red alert, grumbling to myself about having jammed five days into four so that I could spend the fifth day spinning my wheels. Spinning up again to go face that pain in the ass was not something I wanted to do.

I got the impulse right about then.

I didn't have to call right back, did I? Since we'd agreed to talk by email?

Of course not.

I made connections later that afternoon, having finished work I'd stacked up for the weekend, in a leisurely way. Made calls and connections and apologies - that darn phone, I watched email the whole time.

Monday's soon enough to begin that which comes next.

It's not often I get a chance to reach out and grab that kind of day - seems like it only comes up every four years or so.

It doesn't hurt a thing to take that leap.