THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER #6 Live Like A Sprinter
THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Larry Underhill
LIVE LIKE A SPRINTER. This concept was brand-new to me when I first heard author Tony Schwartz speak. Schwartz and co-author Jim Loehr wrote “The Power Of Full Engagement”, a book about maximizing performance and a whole lot more.
“Living A Balanced Life”, the theme for my stint as this year’s president, is easier said than done. Realtors struggle even more than most folks to maintain a life apart from their chosen profession. This business can consume a person if they don’t set boundaries and intentionally carve out time for themselves! The concepts of the “Full Engagement” book are valuable whatever your profession may be.
Schwartz observes that most people live their lives like marathon runners. They conserve their energy and strength and never “go all out”. Instead, they work at less than optimum capacity for long periods with too little rest and play, which eventually leads to burnout…or worse. “To the degree that leaders and managers build cultures around continuous work—whether that means several-hour-long meetings, or long days, or the expectation that people will work in the evenings and on weekends—performance is necessarily compromised over time. Cultures that encourage people to seek intermittent renewal not only inspire greater commitment, but also more productivity.”
A sprinter can see the finish line before he/she leaves the starting blocks. A sprinter gives their all for the short burst. Then it’s time to rest and recover. Living life like a sprinter means going all out on a task and then resting. When you’ve taken the time to rest and to play, you perform at a higher level when you work!
THE PULSE OF LIFE: The authors observe, “Nature itself has a pulse, a rhythmic, wavelike movement between activity and rest. Think about the ebb and flow of the tides, the movement between seasons, and the daily rising and setting of the sun…Our breathing, brain waves, body temperature, heart rates, hormone levels and blood pressure all have healthy (and unhealthy) rhythmic patterns.”
Schwartz says that this culture too often encourages people to be “flat-liners”, to live in a linear way rather than engaging in healthy patterns of activity and rest. “We are oscillatory beings in an oscillatory universe,” he says! (And when you think of the implications of “flat-lining”, which is the opposite of the oscillation of a healthy EKG or EEG, you get a sense of just how serious all-work-and-no-play can be).
Anybody who encourages me to take more time to play gets my vote! I’ve recognized for years that I’m better at what I do when I’ve taken the time to enjoy life.
It’s Monday night, and I’ve had a productive day. Now it’s time to practice what I preach. I’m headed out to play a little blues with some musician friends. How about you? Smell those roses before you’re pushing them up! You’ll enjoy this life-trip more AND get more accomplished.
Larry Underhill
LIVE LIKE A SPRINTER. This concept was brand-new to me when I first heard author Tony Schwartz speak. Schwartz and co-author Jim Loehr wrote “The Power Of Full Engagement”, a book about maximizing performance and a whole lot more.
“Living A Balanced Life”, the theme for my stint as this year’s president, is easier said than done. Realtors struggle even more than most folks to maintain a life apart from their chosen profession. This business can consume a person if they don’t set boundaries and intentionally carve out time for themselves! The concepts of the “Full Engagement” book are valuable whatever your profession may be.
Schwartz observes that most people live their lives like marathon runners. They conserve their energy and strength and never “go all out”. Instead, they work at less than optimum capacity for long periods with too little rest and play, which eventually leads to burnout…or worse. “To the degree that leaders and managers build cultures around continuous work—whether that means several-hour-long meetings, or long days, or the expectation that people will work in the evenings and on weekends—performance is necessarily compromised over time. Cultures that encourage people to seek intermittent renewal not only inspire greater commitment, but also more productivity.”
A sprinter can see the finish line before he/she leaves the starting blocks. A sprinter gives their all for the short burst. Then it’s time to rest and recover. Living life like a sprinter means going all out on a task and then resting. When you’ve taken the time to rest and to play, you perform at a higher level when you work!
THE PULSE OF LIFE: The authors observe, “Nature itself has a pulse, a rhythmic, wavelike movement between activity and rest. Think about the ebb and flow of the tides, the movement between seasons, and the daily rising and setting of the sun…Our breathing, brain waves, body temperature, heart rates, hormone levels and blood pressure all have healthy (and unhealthy) rhythmic patterns.”
Schwartz says that this culture too often encourages people to be “flat-liners”, to live in a linear way rather than engaging in healthy patterns of activity and rest. “We are oscillatory beings in an oscillatory universe,” he says! (And when you think of the implications of “flat-lining”, which is the opposite of the oscillation of a healthy EKG or EEG, you get a sense of just how serious all-work-and-no-play can be).
Anybody who encourages me to take more time to play gets my vote! I’ve recognized for years that I’m better at what I do when I’ve taken the time to enjoy life.
It’s Monday night, and I’ve had a productive day. Now it’s time to practice what I preach. I’m headed out to play a little blues with some musician friends. How about you? Smell those roses before you’re pushing them up! You’ll enjoy this life-trip more AND get more accomplished.
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posted by Larry Underhill at 14:19
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