Running, Running & Running

Being a “Go-Getter” is essential to a successful career.  There are many words of wisdom (cliches) supporting this; “The early bird gets the worm”, “You rest you rust”, “A little sleep, a little slumber leads to poverty”.  Running, Running and Running seems like it’s the only way, especially in today’s world to reach your goals and dreams.  But I have found this is not the best plan and the addiction to the high pace life can leave you empty, lonely and in some cases broke.

What about; “Slow and Steady wins the race”, which I have never (until recently) been a fan of?  In fact, this article may be more for me than for you, but even so I hope you see the value in what I am sharing.  At the very least I can attest to the fact that keeping the “pedal to the metal” can land you flat on your back.

There are far to many people who feel rest and pleasure is all that matters and they do the least amount of work to get by and that’s their decision.  I am writing specifically to those who want to make a difference in their life and the life of those around them.  These are driven individuals that want to have an impact and perhaps a legacy that their family, friends and associates can benefit from.  These are the people who live at a high pace and their minds usually race, even in their down-time, to improve themselves, their business and those they care about.  A noble mindset for sure.

In planning your days/weeks/months do you include gaps that will give you time to clear your mind and relax your body?  Yes we should all get the proper amount of sleep (which varies from person to person and you know what you need), but there is more.  Take some deep breaths, slow the pace and clear the mind (focus on nothing except maybe a beach, waterfall or other pleasing scene or memory) even if it’s for short periods.  This can refresh and invigorate you to peak performance.

When is the last time you took an hour and just stayed in a restful mindless state?  With my mind always reeling (I never feel I have accomplished enough) I know personally how hard this can be for those who are achievers.  Rest is an important part of well-being and should be included in anyone’s plan for success.  Any machine that runs hard 24 hours a day is destined to fail and sometimes catastrophically.  The human mind and body are similar in that we need to include time for rejuvenation and moments (hours if possible) of peace so we can truly be at the top of our game.

“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well” - Louisa Alcott