Recovery and Resting

Doing and Resting

The Corporate Olympian works harder, practices more, gives more time, and goes above and beyond the call of duty. However, if he/she burns out, then their best performance is lost.

The best efforts of the Corporate Olympian are matched by a rhythm of doing and resting.

When thinking of recovery from work (which is essential for maximum performance) we must consider both long term and short term. Think of a rhythm of doing and resting. You can imagine that this rhythm must be present in your day, week, and season.

The longer the term of the project you are working on,
the more important the short term rhythm of doing and resting.

In order to stay sharp and energized for the long haul, you must keep yourself in good shape each day. A balance of doing and resting in the day, is the basis for a balanced week.

You must take care of yourself so that you can
take care of all the other important things in your life.

Within Each Day

In this day and age of computers, we often spend hour after hour typing away. Give your body and brain a helping hand in functioning their best. stretch at your desk.

Pay attention to your bio-rhythms. When are you the sharpest? When do you feel yourself slump? Most people naturally have a mid-afternoon lower energy time. You can experiment with what helps you most. Is having a nutritious snack best for you? Are you a person who responds well to a short siesta? It it better for you to shift the kind of work you are doing to enervate yourself. Remember, the goal is not to push your low energy away. But rather to respect your natural bio-rhythms and build a day that is the most productive for you.

In every day, make time to meditate (or pray), exercise, eat well, work hard, participate in your family. If you do not do these things on this day, you will not be your best self. The world will miss you.

The Rhythm of Your Week

It is simply not good for you as a human being, a family member, or a worker, to work all the time. Your needs are uniquely yours. They depend on your physical bio-rhythms, your social network / family, and your project goals. However, you will feel better and do a better job in all the areas of your life if you build a structure in your week that works for you.

Do you do better with a one day weekend and a mid-week break? Does your life work better with a two day weekend? Or, is it best for you to work every day ... but make absolutely sure that your evenings are work free. There is no hard and fast rule about the rhythm of your week. It is a fact, however, that your time will be spent on something. The question is "Are you spending your time wisely ... or is it slipping away from you (perhaps in a mad dash from one thing to the other)?

Make it on purpose. Experiment. Assess. Then choose what rhythm of working and other activities gives you the happiest life and the best performance in all your roles as a human being.

The Seasons of Your Life

When you look at the season ahead, do you look at all your goals, or do you over focus on one area? It is essential to look at your work goals. However, if you look at your work goals and ignore all other areas of your life, you will be out of balance. In the long run this will make you a less productive worker and less fullfilled human being.

Think about your whole self when you set goals for the season. There are times when work will take precedence, other times when family will move center stage in your life. It is your task to keep a flow of focus so that all the areas of your life get some time in every season.