The Manager 147 - Derailed
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The Manager - Edition 147 - Derailed
Hi,
I hope you are doing safe and well.
Throughout my career I've had ups and downs. That's life really. So, what I share here today is a little personal but I hope it helps if you're in one of life's dips.
I’ve derailed. I’ve come off the track. My routine has gone all over. These newsletter are no longer on time. No videos for months now. No podcasts either. Am I worried? A little but not much. It's happened before and sure enough, I am certain it will happen again.
This is the cycle of life I see repeated in my own life and that of others. Big events come along and overwhelm us. For me it was moving house and two kids isolating and working full time. For others it could be much worse or something seemingly trivial.
It happens to all of us. We’re going strong, then we’re not. We have an amazing routine, then we don’t. We’re seeing amazing success at work, then it all crumbles. We’re planning holidays and vacations and then a pandemic hits. We’re feeling good about work and then we’re made redundant.
Life is a roller coaster. There would be no good without bad. No up without down. No yin without yang.
The trick I’ve found when this happens is to get back to basics. This applies as much to your life as a manager/leader/developer/marketer etc as it does to your personal life. The following is not guaranteed to work but it's what I do when I come off the tracks.
Eat clean.
I’m an emotional eater and drinker. If I’m eating sweet stuff and drinking too many beers I’m out of sync. It’s a warning sign. So, step 1 is to dial in my diet.
More fruit, more veg, more water.
As we moved house recently, we had takeaways more often than usual as the kitchen was a mess and our focus was on moving in, not replenishing the fridge with goodies.
Journal.
Quiet time with my family.
Our new house has a wonderful nature filled south-facing garden and the weather here in the UK has been epic.
So, some quiet time is on the cards, with healthy doses of sunshine and plenty of time with my family.
A plan.
Working full time sucks, at least for me. My goal/dream/wish is to build a publishing company. When I sit and ponder what motivates me, interests me and ties the many pieces of work I’m involved in together, I come to conclusion that it’s publishing. That’s what drove me as a kid and teenager - just to make and create.
Contracting gets in the way of that, but it’s essential to pay the bills and keep the servers running. I also learn a lot contracting and share the experience I have - so I'm not complaining, but I have to find some way to continue to create whilst pulling 40+ hours a week.
So, I need an editorial plan and a month by month plan of how to grow this business.
Xmind has been a lifeline for mind mapping the future state and objectives.
A schedule.
Given my plan hasn’t changed much over the years it hasn’t taken long to create a new plan (point 4).
But a plan is useless without routines, habits and behaviours. It’s the same at work and I talk about that in my recent book.
The teams that win are the ones who have the discipline to do the work. I need to get back to a daily routine.
I use google calendar to plan the whole week (food, drink, movement, publishing, family time, etc). I then print the calendar and stick it on the fridge of accountability. The fridge is a common place I visit, so seeing it everyday gives me the impetus to do what’s on it.
This is where I am now - trying to stick to a routine. It’s hard. But I try not to get upset when I miss a day. Try again tomorrow.
This was all a little personal but I hope it helps if you’ve derailed.
It takes great strength to admit you’ve come off the tracks and even more strength to get back on. Don’t be afraid to admit it, everyone goes through it. The goal is to get back on track as quick as you can. For you, your family, your team, your business.
And as a manager - realise that everyone in your team is going through ‘something’ - empathy is the key.
Here’s some articles I’ve enjoyed this week:
Initiative takes effort by Seth Godin. I wish I saw more initiative in work. I define initiative as doing the right thing without being asked. Go for it - give initiative.
Don't like the thought of meditating - try these alternatives.
How to measure LGBT+ in the workplace.
How to achieve sustainable remote working. Good, but long.
How to become a master at talking to anyone.
Why quitting can be an advantage.
It's ok to outgrow the life you thought you had planned.
Donella Meadows on dancing with systems - systems thinking GOLD.
Fascinating - why Musk is getting richer - and yet he doesn't even have to finish the race.....people are betting on him but he doesn't have to finish...the tale of two economies.
Until next week - where normal service will resume.
Rob..
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Thanks
Rob..