Are You Investing In Yourself?

EFFECTIVENESS SIMPLIFIED

Sometimes we can over-complicate what it really takes to become more effective in both leadership and in life. We sometimes get caught up in the next new book, exercise gadget, or miracle diet and forget to keep things simple.

I’ve learned through experience (a lot of trial and error) that there are a few core leadership practices that each of us can easily adopt which have the potential to create major transformations in our lives.

The first thing that each of us can do is to commit to a journaling practice. Journaling is a process that raises self awareness to help us better know our tendencies, where to focus our attention, what triggers us emotionally, and what brings us peace and joy. Studies have revealed that simply writing down our account of a challenging experiencing can lower physiological reactivity and increase our sense of well-being even if we never show what we’ve written to someone else.

Journaling helps with the identification of positive patterns and habits as well as those behaviors that may or may not be resourceful. It creates an opening for conscious choice and be a significant contributor to help us become more effective in managing ourselves.

The next leadership practice that only requires a personal commitment and burning desire is daily energy renewal. Movement in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of our lives creates positive connections that allow us to raise our “over-whelming” threshold and deal more effectively with anything that comes our way.

Making the personal investment in yourself of one hour per day in these dimensions of renewal is probably one of the highest leverage things that you can do for yourself.