The last 2 days have been really fun!
Every month I lead an Emotional Intelligence Certification course. The folks who sign up for this course do some pre-work reading, then spend two days with me learning how to interpret and provide feedback using an emotional intelligence assessment. This 2-day class is a very full two days! We start at 9 am and finish at 4 pm both days, and there is some homework in the evening for the participants. In total, probably 12 hours of class time in two days.
Normally if I spent twelve hours teaching over 2 days, I would be exhausted both mentally and physically.
In addition to spending 6 hours each day certifying people, later in the evening, I led coaching supervision for 2 classes I am teaching for Concordia University in Irvine, California. These supervisions occur with 6 to 8 students and run 2 hours each. There is an intense amount of listening and instructing that goes on in these sessions, to the point that after I lead a supervision course I am usually exhausted.
As I have been reflecting this morning on the certification and supervision classes that just finished, I realized something. I am far from exhausted; in fact, I am energized.
That caused me to begin to get curious around why. Why is it after a very intense week of human interaction using video technology I am really full of energy?
What I came up with is not rocket science, and I can assure you there is likely nothing on this list that is a revelation for you:
My List
Exercise. My wife and I worked out by either going for a long bike ride or doing our Orange Theory workouts 5 out of 7 days this week. There is something about my workout that gives me energy and life. I don’t always love doing it, but I am coming to realize that I don’t like how I feel when I am not exercising regularly more than I dislike the actual exercise. So, for me, working out is a part of what I do for energy.
Diet. Small meals more frequently was the theme of this week. No junk food. Mostly fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts. When I eat healthily I just feel better than when I eat a bunch of stuff that is processed. I have more energy when I am consistent with my diet.
Sleep. 8 hours every night this week. I am actually really focused on this. I am a believer that this one might be more important than the first two on my list. Mathew Walker, in his book, Why We Sleep, convinced me that we have work policies about smoking, substance abuse, ethical behavior, injury and safety, and disease prevention, but insufficient sleep, another harmful and potentially deadly factor, is commonly tolerated and even encouraged. Too many leaders, according to Walker, mistakenly believe that time-on-task equates to task completion and productivity. This insanity (my words not Walkers) can cost upwards of $54M annually according to a recent study done across four large US firms.
Fun. A 2016 study by Barbara Plester and Ann Hutchison explored the relationship between fun and workplace engagement what they found was that workplace fun offered employees a refreshing break and created a positive feeling for the person about their work. If it was fun, they were more engaged in the work. It is what researchers for years now have called “flow.” While it was for sure a long day of “work” for me, what I reflected on was that I was in flow, and it was really fun.
Sabbath. This is an interesting word I think that might not be familiar to all who read this post. Many will see this word and immediately run from it as some kind of religious icon. I don’t see Sabbath that way. The origin of the meaning of the word Sabbath likely comes from the Abrahamic traditions and is associated with the biblical creation story where God creates all of the physical world we experience in 6 days, then on the 7th day He is said to rest. Because of the origin of this story, some will reject the idea out of hand. Others will make it an idol and will worship the day and miss the point entirely. To me, the Sabbath is an experience where I rest and live my life differently from how I live it the other 6 days of the week. I set it apart and rest in it. For me, it includes worship and meditation. It might include a different form of exercise, or cooking a meal I wouldn’t normally cook. It is not a set of rules or do’s and don’ts but it is an idea where the day is different. I really like what Dallas Willard is quoted as saying, “If you don’t come apart for a while, you will come apart after a while.” I took Sabbath last week.
So, that is my list. Nothing earth-shattering, but I think the difference this week is that I did it! I didn’t just think about doing it. I didn’t just have the head knowledge that it should be done. I actually DID these things.
As a leader, I suspect there is nothing new under the sun you need to do to “never work a day in your life.'“ But there might be something you need to experience that you already know.
By the way, I am going on vacation next week. Which is another form of Sabbath for me!!!
I will still have a post but will write it in advance so I can really detach and rest. Now as my good friend Mike Risinger says about vacation…"detaching and resting”…now that sounds like fun!!
Have a safe and happy 4th of July. Get some rest!