Be more aware - pay attention to where you are

In our fast lives it is all too easy to be caught up in the busyness and miss or not see what is around you.

While driving today it was hard not to notice a herd of mountain goats on the road - not to mention these two who were having a full on disagreement. The novel or unusual will obviously get our attention easily - but how often do we go through life on 'auto pilot' oblivious to what is going on around us - caught up in worrying about people and future events and not present in the moment ?

How often do you notice things on your drive or walk to work ? Do you take time to be conscious of the familiar sounds and sights each day?

I challenge you to go for a walk this evening - walk around somewhere familiar but go with the intention of being aware and take notice of your environment. As you walk, look up and around, notice things, be aware of the noise your feet make as you walk ... try and focus on your breathing ....

Stop half way on your walk and consider your life, what are you grateful for how would you describe your life in one sentence .... continue your walk and reflect on the sentence you made to describe your life.

Often people when they complete their walk realise that they need to devote more time to their needs and spend time doing the things they enjoy doing. There is often the realisation that we are missing out on experiences and enjoyment because we are so wrapped up in what we consider to be pressing and urgent demands.

We all seem to have busy lives and can often find ourselves being very busy but not getting the results we want. Frequently we are very busy doing work and activities which may be important to others but not ourselves.

It is useful to consider your workload and tasks as important / not important and urgent / not urgent ...

We should all make much greater use of this approach to how we work ... try it and start making conscious decisions to identify that you need to 'DO', what you should delegate to other and what needs to be deleted !

Don't be afraid to give yourself the time to stop and consider your work plans / workload - you will make better decisions and allocation of your time - which will in turn allow you to progress with important and urgent work which will give you outcomes that matter to you.

Enjoy your walk !

CH Executive Coaching

Comments

Cognitive Biases and Their Impact on Decision-Making: A Guide for Leaders

Cognitive biases are a set of mental shortcuts that our brain relies on to make decisions quickly. Although these shortcuts can be helpful in certain situations, they can also lead to errors in judgment and decision-making. As a leader, it is important to be aware of these biases and actively work to counteract them. One common cognitive bias is confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. As a leader, it is important to be open to new ideas and perspectives and to actively seek out feedback from others. Some others that you may experience are; The halo effect, which is the tendency to judge someone based on a single characteristic or trait. This can lead to overestimating someone's abilities based on a positive first impression or underestimating them based on a negative one. As a leader, it is important to evaluate people based on their actual performance and not just their percei...

Leading and working with Gen Z in a clinical workplace

As a nurse manager, leading a team of Generation Z staff members can present unique challenges. However, with the right approach, you can effectively manage and motivate this generation to provide high-quality patient care. Gen Z. literally were born holding a smart 'phone ! As the generational group born from 1997 they are now in their early twenties and some are likely to be part of your team already. First, recognize that Generation Z values transparency, collaboration, and feedback. Regularly communicating with your team and providing opportunities for open dialogue can help build trust and foster a positive work environment. Additionally, consider providing regular training and development opportunities to keep your team engaged and motivated. Generation Z staff members are eager to learn and grow in their careers, so investing in their professional development can lead to a more productive and satisfied team. Finally, embrace technology and utilize it to streamline processes ...

Thinking about teams ....

Today's walk was the first where a coat was necessary for a long time ... with a storm at my back I headed back along my familiar road and was reflecting on the common theme that featured with a number of those I had been coaching this week. Team performance and how to 'get' teams to function effectively was the key challenge facing people this week .... I don't know why but a return to 'office working' or implementing hybrid models of working is my suspicion. When thinking about and discussion team working I frequently go back to my preferred definition of a team by Katzenbach and Smith (1993) A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable While one of many definitions of teams, this is my preferred - mainly because it reminds me of how seldom I have actually being part of or led a team or teams that fully meet th...

A walk along the road : my reflective blog

Search This Blog