For most of us, until we stop, we don’t even realize that this person masquerading in our skin is not living the life we had imagined, or making decisions aligned with our deepest held beliefs and principles. Over time, life happens and if we are not awake, we can be missing out on the possibilities to live that imagined life.
Are You On Autopilot?
Are You On Autopilot?
In small ways and over time, we get pulled along into the relentless need for greater, and more, and bigger, and better. And along the way, we lose sight of the reasons we chose to join this organization, or do this work, or volunteer, or even have a family. But, when we take a pause, when we allow the dust to settle, we can begin to see that there is another way of being with the chaos and complexities that surround us. We are able to put down all the ways we distract ourselves from truly living in this moment. And it is then that we can begin to step off the autopilot and begin to make more conscious choices. If you want to lead with excellence, you need to more consistently make choices that are not reactive but responsive. Choices that are creative and compassionate, and choices that sometimes require grit and courage. These are often the choices made by leaders who have found the winning approaches to business that are good for the company, good for the employees, and good for society (I call these choices “win-win-wins”). All over the world, companies have become involved with social issues in meaningful ways. Win-win-win ideas also have shown up as initiatives related to sustainability, corporate responsibility, or fair wages. But when we are on autopilot and not fully attentive to what is here in our lives to notice, there is no space to find these win-win-wins. This is why we need to put a few purposeful pauses into our days. A few breaks in the non-stop busyness to allow the mind and body to stop and pay attention. The alternative is to live a life that is robotic and it often shows up in our organizations as employee disengagement. There is nothing that will lessen the potential of an organization more dramatically than an apathetic workforce. And, when we are robotic, what is the effect on our ability to connect with our colleagues, customers, patients, or clients? We are physically in the same room but so distracted by our busyness that we might as well be in the next county. Purposeful pauses allow us to be more fully present, and that presence is felt by those around us—it feels like respect, true collaboration, and care. Lack of presence is also felt.
How to Add Purposeful Pauses to Your Work Day
How to Add Purposeful Pauses to Your Work Day
Adding a few pauses into your day allows you to be more present, to recharge your mind and body, and to cultivate the spaciousness for some new ideas. Here’s how:
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