Be in Peak Condition to Best Lead Others (Pt.1)
Leadership is as much about taking care of yourself as it is serving others. What are you doing to take care of YOU?In order for us to be our best for others, we need to ensure we are in peak condition. Ever wonder why they always instruct you to put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others? If you pass out from lack of air, you will not be much good to anyone around you.There is a lot to think about when we are focusing on ourselves. As part of your self-development, I believe everything can fall into three different buckets - Mind, Body, Do. Each may sound simple by themselves, but they can wide vary widely for what they mean for each individual. The three must work in concert, none more important than another. Let's take a look at these three core principles of taking care of oneself.
Mind
Developing your mind is about your continual learning. It is exploring new avenues for knowledge gathering and using it in different ways. Are you constantly seeking out new areas of learning or deepening the areas you are already proficient in? Building your knowledge and use cases is a fantastic way to expand horizons of what is possible. This can come in many forms. It could be reading books (or listening to them if you are an Audible fan), watching videos, or taking courses. It could be a combination of those or many other activities that introduce you to new ideas and ways of thinking. Check out our resources section to get more ideas for ways you can further expand your mind.
Body
Taking care of your body is likely the most difficult for people and involves some of those things that we tend to shy away from. Eat right. Exercise. Sleep. Yikes. All three of those things in the same place at the same time? It is far too easy to let any of these three slip, let alone trying to maintain all of them at the same time. I can certainly admit that these were extremely difficult things for me to improve. I still have to work very hard and consciously on each of the three. Ensuring you have a balanced, or at least reasonably healthy diet ensures you stay properly nourished each day. Exercise will give you the energy to take on the biggest of challenges while keeping your body fit. Finally, sleep - do not underestimate the importance of sleep in your life. Getting too little can have the same cognitive effects as being drunk. If you are sleeping less than 7 hours each night, you are likely not performing to your potential.
Do
Doing is the final principle in effective self-development. This is about experiencing new and different things in your life. It is also about putting your thoughts, ideas, and plans into action for yourself. You will need to define your own buckets for this, but at least two come to mind right away when I think of this. Hobbies or fun things to do, and general life experiences. Hobbies and fun are pretty straight-forward. Make time to do the things you enjoy doing. Build time for this. Schedule it. Then make it as a high a priority as you would your important things for work. It doesn't matter what it is, just ensure you make time for it and keep your 'appointment'.This was merely an introduction to three core concepts that can form the basis of your self-development journey. In part two of this article, I will share some ideas on what you can do to have an impact on each of these areas in your life. In the meantime, think about where you would like to make some improvements. Start small, as you cannot easily fix all three of these at the same time. Simple is better. Trying to do too much will lead to frustration instead of habit building success.What first steps can you take for developing your mind? What habits can you build for taking better care of your body? What activities can you engage in to experience more doing in your life? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.