Get in Fighting Shape to take on the S.O.B.

strengthen your core, create a strong vision, eliminate stress 

Simply deciding to eliminate stress isn’t enough. It’s too simple, not specific and will ultimately fail. Just like New Year’s resolutions that statistically are abandoned by January 12 – trying to build a new habit without specifics will not bring the results you’re looking for. 

When building a new habit, you need to start as if you’re actually building something – start small. A new structure doesn’t come into being overnight (Rome wasn’t built in a day!) it begins with careful planning – one step at a time. And buildings aren’t built at all unless the architect has a clear, strong vision about the final product. 

That’s what you need to eliminate stress – a clear, strong vision that comes from your core. Many books and seminars will tell you to start with “massive action” or have a “vision”…but they ignore the fact that you can’t sustain any action or even create a clear vision if you aren’t connected (truly) to your core. 

Ok Harjot fine, enough with the metaphorical mumbo jumbo – what are you even SAYING?! I’m saying, before you successfully break up with this S. O. B. you’ll need to get in shape and strengthen your core. Take intentional time to get in touch with what’s truly important to you and WHY.

In Psychology Today, Steven Stosny, PhD, calls  “the ability to create and experience value, core value. When in touch with [your] core value[s], life is vibrant and enriched. When not in touch with [them], life is filled with pain or boredom”. This pain often manifests itself as stress, which we know leads to complicated and life-threatening health problems. The longer we allow it to exist, the more ‘normal’ we believe it to be. And the more normal we believe it to be, the longer we allow it to go unaddressed in the teams that we manage. 

Read more about climbing beyond the leadership ladder to success to engage your team and avoid stress, overwhelm and burnout. 

So, is your family most important? Awesome, you need to de-stress to take care of your health and live longer to spend quality time with them. Create a vision of yourself as happy, healthy and spending quality time with them. Think of this often in your mind’s eye. Do you want to be truly successful at work? Great, then you’ll need to eliminate stress in order to have a long and sustainable career. Envision yourself at your retirement party at 65 or 70, surrounded by those you led and influenced. Use this picture to stay focused on your goal of a healthy and balanced career — one that doesn’t lead to overwhelm and burnout. 

It’s imperative to use your core values to create a strong vision for your future and let that vision determine what specific goals you work towards. This isn’t something you should do just once then forget about it. You must take time daily to remind yourself what’s truly important. Strengthen that muscle so you have a clear vision to whatever end goal you imagine.  That way you can see stress reduction as part of the plan to achieve what you truly desire, instead of just ‘the way things are’.