This wasn’t the blog I intended to write this week, but I was driving into work on Tuesday and the universe told me this is the story that needs told. This week is about building houses and the balance between pushing and pacing yourself.
Pretend for a minute that you build houses. You’ve been building a house since January 1st. It’s a large and difficult job, and you’ve been grinding day in and day out. So far, you’ve made good progress. Now you find out there will need to be some last-minute changes on top of the unfinished work you already have. You know you should pace yourself, but there is so much stuff to do that you begin overly pushing yourself. You are working hard and working long hours. You get tired. Your work gets a little sloppy. At one point you’re so tired that as you are hammering nails you hit your hand and break all the bones in it. You get the house done before the end of the year, but it’s not exactly your best work, you have broken bones, and you are spending the end of the year hoping you can heal a bit before starting the process all over again.
Let’s make some connections. We may not be building houses, but I think it’s safe to say that we all have been running hard this year. It’s been another year of high expectations and doing more with less. I’ve seen all of us work and push and work and push to deliver for the people we serve. With all that said, we are now kicking off Q4, and that is always a mad dash to the end of the year. In the midst of this mad dash, I want us to finish strong, not broken. I want us to finish the year and be ready for rest, not needing to heal whether that is physically or mentally. What we build matters, AND the people who do the building matter too.
The challenge: How can ensure you are pacing yourself vs pushing yourself to the point where it becomes hazardous to your health?
Bonus challenge: If you are a leader, how are you setting up the environment so your people can deliver without harming themselves?
Have a jolly good day,
Andrew Embry
Striking Matches 