With the Holiday break coming up I wanted to share some ideas on how to set yourself up to hit the ground running in 2021. It’s important to be intentional about how we spend our time off otherwise we sometimes will come back feeling worse than before. Have you ever had that weekend or vacation where you ate too much sugar, drank too much and didn’t move your body? I have. I think it’s important to think of our time off as a hybrid between a retreat and a vacation. I’m all about letting go. Trust me, a month ago, I drank my fair share of wine in Hawaii. But, I also went hiking, ran on the beach and surfed. All things that help us reset. At the end of the day, our goal should be to come back feeling better from our time off not worse. So here are some ways to do that, specifically, around the pandemic. As my best friend says, “your rest is your productivity.”
EPSOM SALT SOAKS
I try to end at least a few nights a week with an epsom salt bath, which may or may not be accompanied by a glass of red wine🍷. Epsom salt is a compound made up of magnesium, oxygen and sulfur, which is used for a ton of different treatments such as muscle soreness and stress. Magnesium is involved in 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies. One is the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter which supports a calm mind. One thing I can tell you is that I almost always sleep better the nights I do an epsom salt bath. And, sleep is crucial for performance.
READ AN INSPIRING STORY
Pick up an autobiography or biography of someone who has overcome adversity, led through a crisis or who has operated with tremendous vision.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Fantastic-Future While the way Elon Musk leads might seem contrary to a lot of content that I usually share around well-being you can read this book with awareness. One of the biggest things I got out of this was how he operated with tremendous vision and purpose. Now, maybe more than ever, finding purpose in our work will help us cultivate the energy to withstand adversity.
Unabel: Selling You Without Selling Out by Marc Ecko is an incredible story of grit, resolve and vision. If you want to be inspired while going through the adversity of a business I can’t think of a better read. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist this might help unlock some of the creativity that resides within you and feel inspired along the way.
FORGIVENESS
Who do you need to forgive to be able to let go of the past? With the stress of 2020 we most likely have anger, resentment or frustration with at least someone we work with. Anger, resentment and frustration create separation. And, with all the generations we have in the workforce, depending on your company, we already have a lot of division.
But, a high-performance culture cannot exist with separation. Forgiveness is a strategy to create a high-performance culture.
I don’t know about you, but with everything we’ve been dealing with in 2020, I’ve been incredibly hard on myself. Maybe the person you need to forgive more than anyone else is yourself. Write a letter to yourself or the other person — not making them guilty, but truly letting it go. Depending on the situation, a conversation might be best. I’m sure for some of you there is a lot of resistance already building up, but I promise, on the other side of forgiveness is freedom.
NATURE
A college basketball player who is one of my coaching clients recently had to go into quarantine because of COVID. He couldn’t touch a basketball for two weeks during the middle of the season. But, when he came back he felt like he had a great mental reset and was performing really well, even after not touching a ball for two weeks. I asked why he felt like he was performing so well beyond the things we had already been working on, like meditation, because we wanted to recreate his ability to get back into that mental space. He said he didn’t really know why.
So one thing I suggested to him was getting out in nature. He stopped me and said, “That’s so funny you say that because I actually took my dog out for a walks in the forest almost every day the last couple of weeks” I know you might think I’m going all “woo-woo” over here, but there is quite a bit of science to back up the practice of Japanese Forest Bathing. It’s similar to why Klay Thompson credited an ocean swim for a 32 point game in the 2019 NBA playoffs. Even if you’re in cold weather, bundle up and get out for a brisk walk. Your brain and nervous system will thank you.
STEPPING INTO 2021
If you’re a high-performing, bold leader, looking to get 2021 started right, my coaching program might be for you. It’s a blend of sports performance psychology and mindfulness to help you unlock the resilient leader within. Drop me a note and we can see if it’s the right fit.
