We all want to feel like we’ve made a contribution. Leaving a legacy would be great. We hope we will make the world a better place. So how do we know we’ve made a positive contribution?
This is a gray area, especially when our aspirations are sometimes super-human. So to deal with the expectation versus reality gap we have mistakenly substituted proxies as evidence that we are leading a meaningful life. Some of these substitutes are busyness, related to busyness is not sleeping, as well as packing the schedule months out. We have now developed a whole language that alerts others we are on the fast track. Someone asks me, “how are you”? I will often say “busy”!
In fact, we have a busyness epidemic right now. We feel called to be busier all the time, but all this busyness is not good for us. We are trying to do so much we become less efficient. We can’t do enough and that stresses us out. We are stressed out and that hurts our health. As the CEO of what I still consider a start-up business, I’m still learning this lesson. Unless I sleep enough, eat well, and exercise more, I can’t help anyone else at my full potential. Our members, our staff, our associations, our families, and friends need us to take care of us first so that we can take care of them.
Nutrition, sleep, and fitness has been top of mind for me especially since I am getting prepared for what seems like a Spring Speaking World Tour. It was perfect timing then to find the new Health by Association Facebook group dedicated to sharing ideas and cheering association professionals on as they work toward their personal health goals. The association community is extremely generous with swapping business solutions it seems natural we would support each other in our personal lives too. Here’s to a healthy and happy 2017 for us all!
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