Posted by: Cindy Leavitt
I have been struggling to write my blog this month and I
realized that by shifting my personal expectation from one to two weeks between
blogs, I quickly fell out of the habit of writing. Then it became harder to
restart writing the longer it went since my last blog.
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Writing this blog has been very important for me in helping me
be the leader that I aspire to be. When I was doing it weekly, it was a lot of
work, but energizing and grounding as well. This month as I have struggled to
keep up the habit, it has been de-energizing. So while, I was not taking the
time to do the blog, it didn’t feel like I got more done. I have been surprised
at the number of people who have been following my blog and commenting about
what they have learned from them. It has been gratifying to know that sharing
my experiences is helpful to others.
I have realized that I only have a limited set of energy and
that it takes an extraordinary amount of energy to change. So when I am
motivated enough to change, if I can do something consistently enough to
create a habit, it takes much less
energy to keep it going. The real power is when I have established habits that
generate more energy for me, which creates a positive reinforcing cycle that
allows me to make other changes and have the energy and stamina to do
meaningful work.
Recognizing where I have done this successfully in my life
gives me the confidence to establish additional new habits, which include
restarting when I fail to meet my original expectations.
Two areas where I have established successful habits are in my
personal planning to make sure I focus on the most important things
consistently and my exercise routines.
Every Monday morning, I take a few minutes to write down the
most important things that I need to accomplish that week for my strategic
initiatives at work, relationship building, and personal life. The lists for
each area are not long, only 1-3 items. Than I look at my calendar and block
times of when I can do the tasks. This simple habit has been incredibly
effective and allowed me to advance important initiatives that are ambiguous.
It is incredibly energizing to see the progress and the impact of focusing on
these important items.
The second habit is exercise. I exercise every day and it is
the basis for much of my vitality. The method of exercise has changed over many
years, but it usually involves a social aspect as well as a physical aspect. It
helps keep me going to know that others are expecting me to exercise with them.
Whether it is being with my comrades at 6am at the gym, walking and talking
with friends, biking with my buddies, or doing yoga when I want to be by
myself. When I don’t exercise, I feel worse during the day. My muscles actually hurt when I don’t move,
so that is very motivating for me to keep up my exercise habits.
Try to take a few minutes over this long weekend to examine
what you are doing that gives and drains your energy. What habit could you
start to develop that would increase your energy and effectiveness?
I am recommitting to writing this blog weekly as a way to
increase my energy and effectiveness.
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