For most of the last month I have spent a significant
part of my working time designing
and creating a pilot workshop to introduce senior
managers of a multinational organisation to the
benefits of using coaching skills with their direct
reports. The work had the additional carrot
that a number of similar workshops will
follow if the pilot was a success.
The workshop took place on the 30th November and
the 1st December and I was still making adjustments
up until an hour before I left home to deliver it. As a
result, the coaching tip got squeezed and squeezed
until it eventually disappeared. I simply ran out of
available time.
What I'm writing here is not an excuse, it is simply
an examination of what was going on for me to let
this happen. The point being that I had a number of
important areas of my life to juggle over the past
month - the workshop, 2 other workshops that took
place
immediately before the pilot, my coaching tip, my
regular
coaching clients, spending time with my family,
running and painting our spare room (obviously not
simultaneously) - to name but a
few.
When I look back at how I balanced my time over the
previous month I can see that a number of areas
suffered - particularly the coaching tip, running and
painting the spare room.
Two things have highlighted this for me
over the past two days. The first is that I presented
a session on balance to my workshop delegates only
yesterday - funnily enough, a session that went
down very well. However, I have to say that the
penny didn't drop for me of how relevant it was to
my current situation
until later.
The second event, and the clincher for me, was that
waiting for me on my return home last night was a
letter from the London Marathon organisers saying
that I had been given a place in the London
Marathon next April via the annual ballot. My first
reaction was excitement. I had never won a place in
the ballot before. Both times I have run it previously
I have had to commit to
raising thousands of pounds for charity in order to
gain
a place.
The realisation then hit me that I had probably
managed to run
on average once a week over the past two months.
Not a great basis for a training programme for the
next four months. I also realised that I am going to
need to seriously work on balancing my time over the
next four months to fit in enough for my training, my
coaching, my potential workshop delivery, my work
on the new team building business I have been
helping get going over the past two months, as well
as business development, family and recreation.
You see there is nothing wrong in consciously
choosing to concentrate all your energies on one
area to the detriment of others occasionally when
the situation requires it. And for me, in hindsight I
still think that my decision over the past few weeks
was the right one.
However, when the balance is out for extended
periods of time or when it is not done from a
conscious position of choice, it isn't healthy.
Balance is not something you ever achieve and then
stay
there, you are always moving either towards it or
away from it. Think of trying to stay on a
bicycle with both feet still on the pedals as you slow
to a complete stop,
or try to balance on one leg with your eyes shut.
You are constantly making adjustments to stay
balanced.
So my question for you this month requires you to
look at the
following areas of your life:
- Career
- Money
- Health
- Family
- Friends
- Fun & Recreation
- Partner and/or Romance
- Personal Growth
Which area(s) are you neglecting or do you need
to bring back in balance with the others?
Now choose three things that you're willing to
commit to doing in the
next week to bring the identified area or areas back
into balance with the rest of your life.
Anyway, I'm just off for a run now before I put a
second coat of paint on the spare room.
Thanks for reading. If you've enjoyed this please
pass it on to a few others who might also like it.
Next issue on December 28th - honest.
Until next time,