What’s your current speed? Are you going full throttle, idling or is it something in the middle?
Full throttle bursts of energy can be good. They can help push you off the dime and get you on your way. But too much, for too long and you’ll quickly find yourself going from full speed to no speed. Just like that.
And when you recover, (and the guilt kicks in) you’ll take yourself right back to where you started; pushing breakneck. And just like your favorite yo-yo diet, the cycle will repeat itself; again and again.
Steady in the middle may not be the sexiest girl at the party, but you can pretty much guarantee she won’t be staying up all night and running off with your best friend. And after awhile…..she kinda grows on you.
2 Responses to Full Speed, No Speed, or Steady in the Middle
Christian Hunter March 9, 2013
Hey D,
In acknowledging that occasional bursts of high energy can be of benefit, any input on how to control those burns to keep from burning out?
Also, would the same principals of control apply to those you manage in the workplace?
Always love your insight!
Christian Hunter
diana March 9, 2013
C,
Great–GREAT–question. (Perhaps worthy of another blog post: When Exuberance Becomes Drudgery). A couple of things–I think your body tells you (if you bother to listen) what it is capable of and when its had enough. Foggy brain syndrome, or still alert? Are you having to Google Alarm showers, or are you remembering on your own?
It IS hard to suss the intersection between occasional bursts and burn-out, but you really do know (on a gut level) when you are at the point of diminishing returns. It’s about letting yourself off the hook AND (much more importantly) beginning the psychological shift into believing that steady effort really can produce extraordinary results. (Sometimes our egos love the idea of the over-worked martyr thing.)
Harder as a leader; but leaders with high EQ (Emotional Intelligence) know how to read cues. If you pay attention, you can see it ‘in their eyes.’ As a leader, it is your job to schedule organizational imperatives in reasonable way. Yes, you need to ‘push’ innovation and results, but you also need to acknowledge physical and emotional realities. A company full of ‘foggy brained burnouts’ gets you nowhere….(This topic is book-worthy.)
D