When I saw this a few years ago, it really opened my eyes as to what was really happening and where I was. So I’d like to share it with you.
Let’s start with stress
These days, stress has such a negative stigma that people nearly get stressed by hearing the word. But stress, in it’s essence, has some great benefits to us. It helps us bring out our best potential, it helps us grow, stretch, and that is ultimately what our innate self wants to. We all want to do and be our best.
It only turns gloomy when we overdo it. When we overload and overstretch ourselves for longer than healthy.
And that’s what we sometimes choose to do, sometimes consciously or often unconsciously – as a habit, as a pattern we have adopted overtime, as a learnt behaviour that may have had its purpose at some point but in the long term doesn’t really serve us and becomes more destructive than supportive.
If you are always thriving to do your best, putting more and more on your shoulders (even if for the best reasons), use the small visual below to bring yourself into the picture. Where do you feel your right now?
- RUST OUT – working under one’s potential, gets quite boring, we are not really growing, feeling unfulfilled, not enthusiastic
- PEAK – this is where we are at our top, at our best, using our maximum potential
- BURN OUT – engine gets empty, over burning, exhausted, we have no energy
Sustainable success and working in the flow
Finding your sustainable optimal performance is finding and adopting a way of working where you can keep doing your greatest work for a long time. Without going into counter-productive overwhelm or destructive burn outs.
Not for a week, for a month or for a season. But sustainably – creating ways and behaviours that can allow you to realise your full potential and keep delivering your top work for a long term success in every area of your life.
“Be the one who manages your workload, not the other way around.”
HOW TO GET THERE?
This is the time when we feel motivated, we are focused, sharp, we are in our zone of genius, feeling upbeat, energised and enthusiastic to grow and learn new things. We get new ideas, we expand. We may feel stress but it’s more like an excitement and buzz. We are in the highest FLOW.
On the other hand, when not balanced, we get overloaded, tired, irritated, we struggle to do anything new or challenging because we are over the head juggling what’s already on our plate, feeling on the edge, just about holding it all together. Needless to say, without much enjoyment or sense of being truly productive.
This is the time to notice and make changes to find our balance and flow again.
Finding yourself past the Peak point?
ASK YOURSELF THESE FEW QUESTIONS. Ideally write on a piece of paper:
1. How long have I been stretching beyond the Peak point?
Answer.
2. How will things look like when I keep going the same direction?
Answer.
3. Are you happy with that?
Y/N
4. If no, what simple change can you make immediately to ease a little pressure of yourself.
5. What one thing can I consider to change my trajectory and get back into balance long term?
Answer
If you can take away one thing from this, please take two:
Working harder won’t get you there.Putting more and more pressure on yourself won’t get your there.
For more insights, check in with yourself and get clear on what you really want and what next steps to take. Getting Clarity Guide – Free Download.