“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” – Elbert Hubbard
Normally in this space we’re talking about leadership, or change, or some kind of challenge we face in our organizations. Today is a little different. It’s still about a challenge, but that challenge is of a completely different kind.
Leaders are stressed and exhausted. I can hear it in their voices and see it on their faces. They feel the weight of a hundred different responsibilities. At times they feel like they carry those responsibilities without any help or support whatsoever. On top of that, almost none of them – just like the rest of the population – are getting enough sleep.
All of those things are completely understandable. Life is challenging enough even if you’re not in any kind of leadership role. Between work and family and friends and health and all the other pieces, it can feel like tidal wave crashing down on you every day.
I’m not a therapist or a mental health professional. I do not in any way think I’m capable of fixing your stress or fatigue or general mental health issues. I don’t have a magic bullet or a five-step process for being joyful all day, every day.
That said, I do know that everyone, especially those who lead, need to find some way to energize themselves. They need to find something that gives them joy, something that charges their batteries. They need to make that battery-charging time sacred, and not let other things get in the way.
Just because you’re passionate about your career doesn’t mean you don’t need some kind of balance. You need to find a thing or a person or an activity or a whatever that helps you keep things in perspective. Or, is just plain fun.
We often think of summer as a time of vacation and having a good time, but the truth is that we need those energizing, battery-charging things year-round. Think about what those kinds of things are for you. Put them on your calendar. Make them sacred.
Give yourself permission to recalibrate and reenergize. You don’t have time not to. Start today.
