December is certainly known as the month of giving: giving gifts to others, celebrating with family & friends, showing your appreciation to clients and co-workers before the year is through.
Have you considered how you are going to “gift” yourself this month-particularly in the form of rest and recovery?
I am guessing you typically operate full-steam ahead, without a plan in place to recharge and recover. You probably wait until you hit the wall or until you literally run out of gas. That was my default mode of operation for a very long time, and to be 100% honest, I have to work really hard to keep myself in check and not fall back into those old habits. But here is another truth: running your business and your life in this way can be a fatal flaw for leaders and peak performers like you.
Professionals as Athletes
Let me explain. (Yep, time for another sports analogy)!
As the leader of a business, a team, a family, &/or a household, you are very similar to an athlete. Everyday you are putting concerted effort, time, and energy into your area of expertise; practicing and executing, refining and improving, stressing the “muscles” to get stronger. Which is not a negative, in and of itself. In general, the goal is to increase your capacity so you can sustain levels of high performance, right?
Here is where the problem sneaks in. Experts who study high performers in the athletic arena have found that the greatest barrier to high performance is not stress (this actually stimulates growth) but rather is the absence of strategic recovery.
Stated another way, work without recovery/rest undermines performance.
Your habit of working hard during the week is a great discipline. Your habit of working into the late evenings and/or through the weekend, week after week, is not a great discipline – its a bad habit, truthfully. And despite the fact that it feels necessary to keep up, to keep growing and serving and up-leveling, you are actually compromising your performance and limiting your capacity to reach your “business-athletic” potential.
Gift or Necessity
So, as you think about all the people you need to give gifts to this month, be sure your name is near the top of the list. If 2022 is going to be your year to accomplish big things and reach your peak in performance and growth, you must give yourself the “gift” of rest and recovery. In fact, it’s not really a gift at all- it is a necessity to reach the top in your “sport” called business ownership.
Need help creating a system to incorporate more rest & recovery in 2022, to ensure you perform at your peak and accomplish your goals? Let’s Talk! Schedule a complimentary call today.
Recent Comments