Build an Energy Foundation for a Marathon
“EVERYONE HAS A PLAN UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE MOUTH.”
Heavyweight Champion and Philosopher, Mike Tyson
Years after Mike Tyson made this statement, a reporter asked about the quote and Mike said, ”Once they get punched in the mouth, they get scared and freeze; they stop moving around.” That fit right into Tyson’s strengths, as he was a brawler.
The pandemic has punched each of us in the mouth, and we have all likely had a moment or two or three of fear which stopped us. Then the reality of the situation set in and each of us got to work, triaging the impact to our businesses in the short-term.
When in crisis, we are confronted by our fight or flight response. The fight or flight response is triggered by hormones that prepare your body to stay and deal with the threat, or to run away to safety. As leaders, we fight and then, as time passes, the hormone, adrenaline recedes back to normal.
We are now in that phase. While we don’t have things handled, we have a little better understanding of things and where we are likely headed as they relate to our businesses. We have triaged and been working on creating safe environments for our employees and customers.
Now, during this time, I believe that in addition to continuing to attend to the prevailing conditions of your business, it becomes critically important to attend to your wellbeing. You don’t have time for that, you say. I say, you cannot afford not to.
I recently watched the documentary The Dawn Wall about Tommy Caldwell, a free climber and his climbing partner Kevin Jorgesons’ attempt to scale the impossible 3000-foot Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
It took them 6 years to chart a path on a part of El Capitan which had never been scaled and was believed to be impossible. They charted 32 pitches they had to navigate to complete the climb. If one attempted a pitch and failed to complete it, they switched roles and the other climber made the attempt. But they both had to complete each pitch.
Tommy Caldwell completed pitch #15, one of the most difficult. Kevin, on the other hand, struggled to complete it. He tried and failed numerous times over several days. At one point it seemed that Kevin was going to concede that he couldn’t do it, and he would spend the rest of his time supporting Tommy. Although Tommy continued his ascent over the days Kevin was stuck on #15. Tommy realized that completing the climb without Kevin would make the whole endeavor feel less than complete. They were a team.
So, Tommy stopped his ascent to focus 100% of his time and energy in supporting Kevin. Every time Kevin failed at an attempt, he rested for an hour or more to regain his strength. At one point due to finger bleeds, Kevin took an entire two days off from climbing to allow his fingers to recover. Kevin did finally complete #15 and went on to complete the climb with Tommy.
WHY DO I TELL YOU THIS STORY?
Just like Kevin needed physical rest to enable him to perform at his best, we need to rest our bodies and minds to enable us to have the appropriate mental and physical energy to meet the demands of being a leader during a pandemic. The amount of energy exerted and stress endured during these unprecedented times should not be minimized.
My son recently told me that he fell asleep on a work Zoom meeting. Lucky for him, he was on mute and his camera was off. He also shared a story of being in a Zoom meeting with an executive who fell asleep, and they could hear him snoring. Sleep is the time when our energy stores are able to recharge. As a leader, you don’t want to be that guy snoring on Zoom, so first and foremost, make sure you get sufficient sleep.
We as humans have four energies; mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. While we should always be attending to these four energies, now seems like an even more important time to make them a priority.
Supporting our mental energy could be as simple as distracting ourselves from our current reality by reading a fiction book. Or reading a book related to our work. During this unique time, you are likely making more and different decisions than usual. This creates decision fatigue. Simplifying your daily habits so you don’t have to make decisions can help with decision fatigue. What are you doing to build your mental energy during this time?
To boost our emotional energy, we could talk to a therapist to help us deal with the emotional and mental toll the current situation is taking on us. I heard a report that over 30 percent of employees are seeking mental health assistance. As leaders, we are not immune from needing mental health assistance. Being in 911 mode, operating out of urgency of the moment, affects us in untold ways, and it’s only when the urgency subsides that it starts to show itself. Even then, it may not be obvious. I know this from my own personal experiences. Needing emotional support as a leader doesn’t make you weak, rather it makes you strong. Who can you sit with and talk to about the impact the current situation is having on you? It does not have to be a therapist, it could be a coach, spouse, best friend, or business associate. Don’t let this one go untended to.
Physically, we all know we should eat healthy and exercise. While we can all get out and walk daily, which I suggest, there are other ways to engage our bodies to ensure physical energy and strength. I have found an exercise routine which is focused on myofascial release. I have found it highly effective and energizing. What is your body telling you it needs? Explore options and put into practice a new physical routine to support what your body needs now.
Then there is spiritual energy. Whether you are present to it or not, we draw energy from our spirit. This could be a daily meditation, engaging in prayer connected to your religious beliefs or it could be doing something that fills up your soul. For a friend of mine, it’s magic. It’s been my experience that daily mindful meditation supports my spiritual, mental, and emotional health. What daily practice will you do to energize your soul and spirit?
The impact of Covid-19 on our lives and our business will not be resolved quickly. While most states are doing some form of restricted reopening, we simply don’t know what’s going to happen. Dr. Anthony Fauci and others have indicated that we will likely get another surge of cases in the fall.
Clearly, we need to prepare for a marathon. To prepare for this marathon, I believe we should be building a solid foundation for our personal energy: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Doing so will enable us to endure a marathon with no finish line in sight. This is going to require a lot of energy. Start building your reservoir now.