[ME ManageMEnt] with TIME MASTERY – SELF MASTERY BY LINDA K. KREI (ACTIONCOACH EXCELEDGE)

During the demands of these “Extra-Ordinary Times”, Work Life and Home Life balance and boundaries often become blurred. And we are getting exhausted. Organization and business landscapes are shifting, and leaders are attempting to identify and embrace creative opportunity which require transformational and transitional change at multiple levels, yet demand ever-higher performance from their workforces, whether remotely or back on site. Good people are trying to comply, yet often fall trapped in the usual method—putting in longer hours. 

Longer hours at the office, even though with flexibility for remote and modified home space, simply may not be working. WHY? Because TIME is finite, a limited resource. Even though we find ourselves often saying “I wish there were more hours in a day….to get things done”, there are only 24 hours in a day; yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

However, personal energy is not finite, it is renewable and therefore, with intentional choice, can be in abundance. By encouraging and nurturing simple rituals, we can regularly replenish energy to build physical, emotional, and mental resilience. These rituals include taking brief breaks at specific intervals, expressing appreciation to others, reducing interruptions, and spending more time on activities people do best and enjoy most. Oh, yes, and Leaders should go first. Role model this. Help your employees systematically rejuvenate their personal energy, and everyone wins. They find personal and professional fulfillment, with greater engagement, efficiency, productivity to generate benefits that can go straight to the bottom line. 

Tony Schwartz, president and founder of the Energy Project in New York City, and coauthor of The Power of Full Engagement with Catherine McCarthy as Senior Vice President at the Energy Project, recommend these practices for renewing four dimensions of Personal Energy. I call it “ME ManageMEnt” for Self-Care (not selfish care):

PHYSICAL ENERGY

Enhance your sleep by setting an earlier bedtime and reducing alcohol use.

Reduce stress by engaging in cardiovascular activity at least three times a week and strength training at least once.

Eat small meals and light snacks every three hours.

Learn to notice signs of imminent energy flagging, including restlessness, yawning, hunger, and difficulty concentrating.

Take brief but regular breaks, away from your desk, at 90- to 120-minute intervals throughout the day. Form a daily habit.

EMOTIONAL ENERGY

Defuse negative emotions—irritability, impatience, anxiety, insecurity—through deep abdominal breathing. 

Fuel positive emotions in yourself and others by regularly expressing appreciation to others in detailed, specific terms through notes, e-mails, calls, or conversations.

Shift your Mindset. Look at upsetting situations through new lenses. Adopt a “reverse lens” to ask, “What would the other person in this conflict say, and how might he be right?” Use a “long lens” to ask, “How will I likely view this situation in six months?” Employ a “wide lens” to ask, “How can I grow and learn from this situation?”

MENTAL ENERGY

Reduce interruptions by performing high concentration tasks away from phones and e-mail.

Respond to voice mails and e-mails at designated times during the day.

Identify every night the most important challenge for the next day. Then make it your priority action when you arrive to work in the morning.

  • Then, Practice Positivity and identify 3 GOOD THINGS before you head hits the pillow

SPIRITUAL ENERGY

Identify your “sweet spot” activities—those that give you feelings of effectiveness, effortless absorption, and fulfillment. Find ways to do more of these. Delegate appropriately; One executive who hated doing sales reports delegated them to someone who loved that activity.

Allocate time and energy to what you consider most important. For example, spend the last 20 minutes of your evening commute relaxing, so you can connect with your family once you are “done at the office” especially your home office space.

Live your core values. For instance, if consideration is important to you but you are perpetually late for meetings, practice intentionally choosing and showing up five minutes early for meetings.

Yes, these are certainly Extra-Ordinary times, so choose to make an Extra shift in your mindfulness around Time Mastery, by managing your Energy to become more productive with your time. Then simply reclaim your Work/Life passion and joy. 

So, Take Action with ActionCOACH! Simply go to https://go.oncehub.com/lindakreiactioncoach to schedule your complimentary Time Mastery evaluation and assessment with Coach Linda Krei. We’ll get you off the “hamster wheel” and making real progress with Real Results. 

As an award winning, globally recognized, Certified Executive Business Coach and Facilitator, Linda would love to help you take your leadership to the next level. 

Contact Coach Linda Today! 

Linda Krei, ActionCOACH Excel Edge

712.251.7189

lindakrei@actioncoach.com

ExcelEdge.Actioncoach.com

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