Unprecedented speed, connectivity, and intangibility are creating
a blur that is well beyond most people’s comfort zone. What was current
two years ago is passé today. Instant obsolescence applies both to products
and competencies.
Moving fast is taking a heavy toll on us. We see epidemic levels
of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart attacks, ailing marriages, broken relationships
with our children, alcoholism, drug dependency, and disease, on the one hand,
and poor leadership, high turnover, lost sales, and less than adequate work performance,
on the other.
Another troubling epidemic is presenteeism—a term for being
at work but being exhausted, overworked, distracted, and disengaged—in short,
being absent (mentally checked out) while being physically present.
You want more balance—that elusive mix of personal and professional
happiness and productivity—and yet you also want success. You might regretfully
serve the work master at the expense of health, family, relationships, happiness
and fulfillment. By not sustaining your personal vitality, your work performance
eventually suffers and you burn out, give up, derail, or suffer cataclysmic health
events. If you seldom take time to stop and smell the roses, you’ll likely
gain weight, take too many medications, suffer too much stress, fail to look out
for yourself, and yet show up for work even when you are too sick, stressed,
or distracted to be productive.
If you can’t change the velocity, then how can you retain your
vitality and sustain high performance? By making some small changes and integrating
them into your current lifestyle. They don’t involve dramatic lifestyle
makeovers, or countless hours spent in gyms, or the “fad diet of the moment.”
You just need to look after yourself in mind, body, and spirit. Sustaining vitality
in your life can help you sustain exceptional work performance.
It is easy to fool yourself into thinking you’re doing better
than you actually are. You may be a low-vitality time bomb and don’t recognize
how much risk you are taking and how much you are losing by not taking better
care of yourself.
One insight we gain from peak performers is that their world is not
so blurry. What looks like a blur to everyone else looks calm, fluid, and focused
to peak performers who operate “in the zone” or state of “flow”
in which their concentration is so complete that their performance seems effortless,
and they operate at their peak.
Peak performers get into the flow more frequently and for longer
periods. You can do that, too. Ask yourself honestly, “Do I experience this
flow state regularly?” If not, what’s keeping you from it? That is
the blur—too many meetings, e-mails, phone calls, problems, crises, opportunities,
and demands on your time and attention. You can turn blur into flow if you train
yourself and your mind and body to do so.
Low Physical Vitality
Your life may be careening precariously out of control for three
reasons:
- You don’t have time for or access to sleep, exercise, and healthy living.
- You don’t know how to maintain your health and well-being—and
you don’t recognize when problems emerge as a result of poor health, fatigue,
or stress.
- You can’t sustain programs that could help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.
You can’t improve and sustain your vitality with a quick fix.
We find three areas that have great impact with small changes sustained over time:
1) exercise and activity, 2) nutrition and diet, and 3) rest and relaxation.
Improving your velocity and vitality begins with an understanding
not only of your goals but also of your barriers to change. From there, you can
begin integrating small daily changes into your life that are relatively low cost
in terms of time and energy but start to build rituals that have long-term impact.
For example, you might be dehydrated. The symptoms include headaches,
energy swings, dry skin, increased appetite, weight gain, poor bowel functioning.
You might drink beverages that further dehydrate—sodas, coffee, and caffeinated
tea. Add travel and its dehydrating impact to the equation, and it’s safe
to say that you are dehydrated. Begin adding water before or after your current
ritual. Once you begin drinking more water, you’ll start to crave more water
and less of the dehydrating liquid, and see many symptoms diminish.
To change your diet and nutrition habits, create new rituals. These
can be as simple as bringing healthy snacks to the office, in your luggage, and
in your car. It takes about 21 days for a habit to form. Once you see and feel
the positive changes from creating a new, healthier ritual, you are more likely
to continue the ritual and increase your vitality.
Begin making small and sustainable changes that will impact your
lifestyle and productivity now. Consider, “What are my goals around a more
vigorous lifestyle, and why do I have them?” “What activity or ritual
could I start today that will increase my velocity and vitality?” and “What
barriers are keeping me from starting this ritual?”
With each positive change, you can realize better concentration,
more sustained energy, and improve your health.
Do a candid assessment of your physical and mental vitality. If this
assessment reveals that you are low in physical or mental vitality, you will need
patience with yourself to take your life back one step at a time. We suggest setting
realistic goals for yourself, taking small steps that you can sustain, and having
people to help you who can offer the suggestions and reinforce your successes
while helping you avoid the pitfalls that prevent you from achieving your goals. PE
