I find short winter days difficult. Do you?
Last Sunday in the UK the clocks changed. After living most of my adult life in Cayman, I still sometimes struggle with UK weather having lived here for a few years now. More than the weather, though, I struggle with the shorter days in the winter, so as soon as the clocks change at the end of October it has an impact on me.
Being proactive around this, I planned out this week so as to have a gap in the middle of each day (for maximum chance of warmth and sunlight) to go out for a walk for at least an hour. So far I’ve done it each day and the simple act of going for a brisk walk for an hour or more is great for my energy and overall physical and mental wellness.
Regular readers and those who know me well (particularly my clients) will know that I am an advocate of finding balance. As I often put it and wrote over three and a half years ago on this blog: “you can’t pour from an empty cup“. So, it was good to see this week that John Amaechi, ex-professional athlete and now a renowned leadership expert, is consciously espousing the need to avoid burnout for leaders. As part of this, he is propagating this by asking people what they do to #FillMyCup.
This week to #FillMyCup, then, I am consciously taking a walk every day. On Sunday, having missed it last Sunday as the rain and wind was just too bad, I will #FillMyCup with my regular weekly bike ride. I hope that, in reading this, you give some thought to what you will do for yourself.
Also, an offer to help. I love to use the Pace indicator from Shirlaws Compass in supporting leaders around their energy and performance. For the first ten people who contact me after buying this and completing their report, I will give you forty minutes with me to talk through your Pace report, your performance, and what you can do to fill your cup. You can buy the indicator here and then, after completing it, book your video call with me here.
In closing, here is a short video from John with his thoughts on these topics: