Category: Time and Energy
By LeAnna J. Carey | May 18, 2012
George Eliot said that, "the important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men." Sounds like the perfect description of an entrepreneur. The other characteristic that entrepreneurs seem to share is that achieving work life balance is not their number one priority. According to Jeffrey Stibel, in his well-written Harvard Business Review article, Entrepreneurs Don't Need Work-Life Balance, entrepreneurs have “zero balance…we’re all in, all the time.” Like many, I do not disagree with Stibel, in fact I think he is spot on. What may resonate with entrepreneurs is that they do need energy to keep their unrelenting pace.
For entrepreneurs, productivity is a priority. Therefore, understanding the importance of syncing personal schedules with the body’s cyclic rhythms to increase energy levels is insight (and science) that will probably not frustrate the entrepreneur. Our daily ability to renew our energy levels is dependent on syncing light, food, temperature and activity cycles. While the majority of us fall back on familiar routines, the entrepreneur may not be aware that they are out of sync, have missed a meal, or have worked through the night to solve a problem. To realize their potential, entrepreneurs need to strategize personally and professionally on how not to run out of steam. Let's examine how we can renew our daily energy:
· Light. Think about how the built environment and the fast paced workday works against us with electrical lighting and spending hours inside buildings. Our bodies respond to the rhythms of night and day. For example, the release of melatonin is critical to rest...which is critical to energy. Take the time to go outside during the day for an energy blast.
· Food. Yes, we know - entrepreneurs eat on the run, but did you know that with one night of poor sleep, more calories (up to 500) will be consumed the next day? Start the day with a decent breakfast which syncs up with cortisol release to help transition to wakefulness.
· Temperature. Where do bats sleep for 16 hours of the day? A cool dark cave, I'll let you connect the dots.
· Activity. You need a plan to work out just as much as your business needs a plan. Your schedule is never going to open up for you to exercise; so let me ask you, how long have you been sitting at your desk today or how long has it been since you have taken a sip of water? Remember that research shows that regular exercise increases energy and reduces fatigue. While we all have the same 24 hours, entrepreneurs tend to overestimate what they can squeeze into their day.
Like all of us, entrepreneurs are on a journey, the difference with entrepreneurs is that they know they will regret not using every spare minute to follow their dreams - that's why they need energy.
By LeAnna J. Carey | Jan 12, 2012
After reading Tony Schwartz's last blog in Harvard Business Review on his positive experience of going off line for a set time I gave some thought to the different contours of happiness. To some, happiness is having a meaningful job, doing good, or perhaps not being sad. My 2012 question is, what actions must we take to be happy within our own lives? For starters, think about what makes you unhappy. What impacts my personal happiness is a sense of being spread too thin and watching my creativity and productivity evaporate.
I took my question to the Twitterverse and asked what actions my trusted pals intended to take to be happy this year. Here is a quick scan of some of the answers:
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Respire Profundo and enjoy the moments
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Less worry, focus/take action
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Simplifying schedule, exercising, saying YES only when I truly mean it
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WIN WIN WIN WIN
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Trust God. Professionally? - stay open, continue learning/shifting
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My actions start with "what do I want?" & really listening to my answer.
My question must have struck a cord, because a few of the forward thinkers want to check in with one another during the year to match up the happiness progress to the actions. If we take a look at these answers, it would appear that "how" to be intentional with the time we have would connect the answers in three ways:
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Expectation. Ask yourself what your expectations are for yourself. Or better yet, as Elli St. George Godfrey said: ask, what do I want? Focus on becoming familiar with not only your strengths and talents, but your desires. It's time to get in sync and resist rolling into this year the same as the last.
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Invest. We all have the same 24 hours, the difference is how we use that time. Just as Tony Schwartz mentioned in his blog, he realized how much time he was spending online - and began to feel that "The lure of email and the Internet had come to feel compulsive, irresistible, and increasingly uncomfortable." Where you spend your time should make sense, after all, we cannot get it back. Invest your time carefully; it was Emerson that said, thinking is the hardest task in the world. Have you set aside time to think?
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Action. If last year is any indication of 2012 - where information, ideas, new market innovations moved at such a fast clip that feeling overwhelmed became the new normal. Chances are you not only lost some mojo, but some happiness as well. Identify and focus on actions that will lead to and maintain happiness. For some, that may mean going to sleep without their iPad next to them.
When racing to beat that deadline or keep up with the speed of the market try not to toss out happiness as if were insignificant. We have the ability to design how we spend our time, what we choose to focus on, and who we engage with - sounds like happiness to me!
A special thanks to@SMSJOE 098@bikespoke @3keyscoach @Tribe2point0 @Natasha_D_G @danielnewmanUV @ambercleveland for such generous responses. Can you guess who answered, win, win, win? It can only be one person....
By LeAnna J. Carey | Dec 02, 2011
What is the one thing that we all have in common? We are all subject to time. The same 24 hours that everyone has. We are nearing the end of the year and when you look back on your accomplishments, did you do everything that you set out to do? In response to the unpredictable market place many have found themselves reevaluating personal and career priorities. One quote worth reflecting on is from Samuel Johnson, in Boswell's Life of Johnson, "it is a most mortifying reflection for a man to consider what he has done, compared to what he might have done." Even in 1770, it seems as though meandering through life was not an option for some, and clearly, now is not the time to be vague about goals - especially, if you are an executive. If we are to be mindful of our time, then what is it that we should be doing to master or make time work for us both professionally and personally?
First of all, nourish your future. Consider that people are living and working longer, and the new normal is to feel completely exhausted from trying to over, out, and super achieve. John Beeson, the Principal of Beeson Consulting, just posted an excellent article on The Myth of Work-Life Balance, in today's issue of Harvard Business Review, where he emphasizes that for executives personal organization is a more realistic goal than trying to achieve a work life balance. Keep in mind, that Beeson, is being realistic, in light of our rapidly changing business environment. What may help these executives integrate their work with how they nourish their life, and at the same time enhance performance and competitiveness is making a few simple lifestyle changes:
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Power down a couple of hours before bed
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Eat a light dinner - front load calories to the first half of the day
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Move around through out the day - go outside for a few minutes
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Sleep in a dark room
Executives are acutely aware of what they can accomplish in their 24 hours and I am always in awe of what some exec's accomplish. What I see as a risk for executives is the potential of outspending themselves if they neglect to prioritize their personal needs just as they would do for their companies. Aligned with Beeson's concept of organization, executives that nourish or structure their life/lifestyle for success will be living their "A" game in and outside of the office. The key is I-N-T-E-G-R-A-T-I-O-N!
By LeAnna J. Carey | Jun 14, 2011
Oprah said, " Everyone has to learn to think differently, bigger, to open to possibilities" When was the last time you reflected or imagined your possibilities? To cultivate a blueprint of possibilities you need to tap into perspective - and that requires energy. As impossible as it sounds, successfully meeting the demands of life and balance are both achievable if you have an open perspective and a healthy energy flow. While the connection between mind and body can probably be attributed to the ancient Greeks, in contemporary society, most of us are trying to create a balanced life and live to our fullest potential.
When picturing someone who realizes their possibilities, does that person also look like a person with a great deal of personal energy? We have previously addressed that one of the most important steps to feeling energized is to get enough sleep; now, let's explore changing the way you think. One helpful tip is remove 'tail-enders' - yes, you heard me, correctly. According to Feinstein, Eden & Craig, in their book, The Promise of Energy Psychology, "tail-enders involve a limiting self-image that instructs you that the desired state is not possible, you are not capable of it." Their example, "But, if I lose the weight, others will expect me to keep it off," or in this case, my example, 'if I tap into my possibilities, I may have to make different lifestyle chioces." Feinstein, et al, goes on to suggest to bring your goal, even if dimly recognized, into the forefront, write it down; doing this may reveal attitudes that are keeping your goals from becoming a reality.
Thinking differently is the first step to changing anything in our lifestyle, so let's start with understanding that a key resource for restoring your energy is your circadian synchrony- in other words, the timing of light, ambient temperature, the timing of meals, fluids and activity are all related and need to be in sync. It's also important to realize that your personal energy is renewable! Your possibilities will take you as far as you have the energy to discover and act on them. Being open to and connecting with the elemental energy and rhythms of the natural world like sunlight, the sky, the signs of the current season, the time of day, is an ever present source of energy that automatically makes us more open. If you are making daily lifestyle choices to sync up, you are stoking your daily source of energy - consider the possibilities!
By LeAnna J. Carey | Apr 05, 2011
Cicero said that the art of medicine is valuable to us because it is conducive to health, not because of its scientific interest. You have to admit, there is a great deal of wisdom packed into that statement and begs the question, where is medicine now and where does it need to go? With healthcare spending growing faster than inflation and national income [1], it would appear that we should focus on something more sustainable than treating disease, invasive procedures and writing prescriptions.
One area that is holding promise is Lifestyle Medicine where promoting a healthy lifestyle engages consumers in new levels of conversations with their physician. Lifestyle medicine is defined as the application of environmental, behavioral, medical and motivational principles to the management of lifestyle-related health problems in a clinical setting [2].
I recently, had the opportunity to discuss with author physician, Dr. Stuart Seale, MD and innovator physician, Dr. Virginia Gurley, MD, the importance of personal health choices, sleep, nutrition, and how personally rewarding it would be for both physician and patient to connect over the elements of integrative and lifestyle medicine. The discussion over what truly constitutes health and how this topic relates to the fundamental changes needed in our healthcare system coming from physicians is not only motivating, but a call to action for all of us in healthcare to look at our own health behaviors and willingness to be mindful for a healthier lifestyle. I hope that you enjoy this podcast where two physician thought-leaders are doing more that philosophizing, but leading the way in transforming the way we think about and create health.