When I was a teenager I could go into the weight room and pick up weights without a warm up and have zero consequences. Multiple decades later this is NOT the case. If I do that something will pull, strain, tear, or worse! I must warm up and stretch.
Stretching is neither fun nor enjoyable. On top of that the results neither come quickly nor are they glamourous. The older I get the more essential stretching becomes, but not just physically.
In his book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth leadership expert John Maxwell discuss the “Law of the Rubber Band” which states:
“Growth stops when you lose the tension between where you are and where you could be.”
As we age we are tempted to stick with what is safe, comfortable, and easy. There is a downside to this. We stay the same. If we choose to stay comfortable, we fail to become the person and leader we were created to be. Allow me to suggest an idea of how to stretch in four areas of self-leadership.
Physically
Since 1950 sedentary jobs have increased 83% according to the American Heart Association. John Hopkins has found that only about 20% of the U.S. workforce has physically active jobs.1 Other parts of the world such as Uganda and China do not have this problem.2 How do we grow in this area?
Move. Whatever that looks like in your life. Get a Fitbit to remind you to move every hour. Stand at work. Build in an exercise routine of walking, pushups, or working out at a gym. At first this may be painful because it will be a change, but the energy gained will be worth the discomfort of change.
Mentally
“Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking.”
David Schwartz
Thinking takes energy and a great resource I have found to get better at thinking is How Successful People Think by John Maxwell. The digital program is excellent. To grow our thinking we need to create space in our schedule and a place to think. For me that is in the morning before anyone else is up. Maybe having a journal to write your thoughts will stretch you. Have one question to reflect on and write about it. See how stretching your thinking helps you grow.
Emotionally
How do we stretch emotionally? That sounds different. I would suggest it could either be self-control or vulnerability. As a leader you may be tempted to keep your struggles to yourself. Who in your life could you process the fears and frustrations with and be more vulnerable? Maybe you allow your emotions to take control and you say things you regret. Taking time to slow down and take a deep breath or walk away and come back may be a stretch if you just want to “get it off your chest.” In the long run vulnerability and self-control will help us connect and lead more effectively.
Spiritually
I am a person of faith and you can skip this if you want. I would suggest this may be the biggest area of stretching because it pushes us to think into our purpose. Maybe the first stretch in this area is considering there may be someone bigger than us in control. For me embracing this truth decreases the burden stress brings. In my book When I Am Afraid I provide a forty day journey to move from fear to trust. If this is an area you want to stretch in check out the resource and let me know if you find it helpful.
Which of these areas do you need to stretch in? I’d love to know. Need a partner in this journey to help you think into any of these areas of self-leadership? Contact me for a no cost to you thirty-minute coaching session. Stretching is not comfortable but done consistently we grow and improve our results. Keep stretching and lead well.
© 2022 Wheeler Coaching Systems, All Rights Reserved