The notion of time out is generally seen as punishment for
children who misbehave. In the
context of this article, it has a much more profound meaning. In sports, teams call time out when
they are running out of time, overwhelmed or need to thoroughly think through
the next play. In life, regardless
of how well you manage time, it eventually runs out. As a result, some people are
overwhelmed. Or the next move in a deal or career
may require adjustments to reach your desired goal. Therefore, you may need a time out or time to contemplate
your next move.
In an age of information overwhelm, it is easy to be
bombarded with crises, to-do lists and trivial sound bites that distract you
from long-term objectives. You are
told the importance of a social media presence as well as the value to know
what is happening in the world in real time. While this information mayhem has some of you twirling in a
frenzy, life goes on. It is as
though your life is a train that has left the station. The question is: are you on that
train? Or are multitasking with
information, personal aspirations and professional ambitions that consume you
and cause you to miss your own life.
If you miss out on your life, that could lead you down a path of
disappointment or depression. With
the latest news of Anthony Bourdain, a successful career cannot give you
immunity to depression.
With that said, no matter your age or profession, it is
valuable to send yourself into timeout.
Whether you meditate, walk in nature or sit in silence, a timeout is a
personal moment to contemplate where you are in life and what your next move
will be.
Even CEOs face the need for contemplation. I have the privilege of spending time
with a number of current and former CEOs of Fortune 500s. One of the questions the retired CEOs
asks current CEOs is: how often do you take time to contemplate? The retired CEOs believe it is
essential for any CEO to set aside time to think about the business of the business. That is a time to develop or enhance an
understanding of the company and the people in it, products or services,
clients and the career and decision making process the CEO has made up to now. It is also the time to think about the
future of the industry and clients.
Without time to clear your head, CEOs can find themselves working like a
gerbil on a spinning wheel. To
avoid that, they carve out time to do nothing. In older movies, you would see a CEO in his office hitting a
golf ball into a cup. This scene
made many believe the job of a CEO was easy. However, that CEO was working while hitting that golf
ball. That was his time to
contemplate.
If you think about it, everyone is the CEO of his or her own
life. Therefore, it is your responsibility
to ensure that the life you live is aligned with the life you want. Similar questions that CEOs contemplate
are relevant to everyone. As you
contemplate your life, ask yourself: what kind of life do I want to live? What do I stand for? What am I committed to
accomplishing? Who are the people
in my support system? How do I
support, bring value, others? Are
my actions a correlate of my stand and commitment? Or am I living for the moment?
Having all the answers in one sitting is not as valuable as
asking the questions and aligning your actions. Sometimes the inquiry is more valuable than the answer. It’s your life and your journey. Take a time out, be creative and enjoy
it.
What do you
think? I would love to hear your feedback. And I’m open to ideas. Or if you
want to write me about a specific topic, let me know.
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