Redesigning Recovery, Updated
Summer is a time to take a breath, take a break and relax with schedules. It is a time to add some fun, stay up later, and in some cases, slow down a bit. In the spirit of summertime breaks, I am reposting a blog I wrote last fall on recovery. It serves as a great reminder to care for ourselves, and I am literally practicing recovery by allowing a repost! Win! Win!
If there was ever a time for recovery, it’s now.
Our fundamental “Practice Recovery” has a whole new meaning for me after 2020. There has been so much disruption in life as we know it, one might wonder where to even start in the recovery process.
We have recovery as a practice because we know mistakes and breakdowns will happen. The quicker we can recognize our mistakes the quicker we can clean them up and resume being productive. Our recovery practice comes with familiarity; we do what has worked in the past. We may practice accountable communication, for example. We may get back into our routine if that seems to reset our course. We find our tried and true pattern to “get back in the game”.
However, how many of you are dealing with breakdowns in unchartered territory? I’m wondering how many goals set for 2020 were actually accomplished. Some organizations and businesses struggled — and may still be struggling — to survive while others had a record-breaking year. Everything still seems a little upside down. In 2021, you may continue to deal with challenges that aren’t solved by what you know from past experience. We are having to execute the two-minute drill as the rule and not the exception (yes, since football is back, so are my football analogies).
So, how do we recover from what last year offered? We have to redesign our recovery.
“The more we take responsibility for the energy we bring to the world, the more empowered and productive we become. The more we blame others or external circumstances, the more negative and compromised our energy is likely to be.” - The Power of Full Engagement
Real, external circumstances have an impact on us. The only way we can respond is to look internally. How are you using your energy?
“Full engagement requires drawing on four separate but related sources of energy: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.” - Excerpt from The Power of Full Engagement
These sources of energy are the first I review when feeling depleted, overwhelmed, troubled and stressed, and I’m wondering how I solve an issue:
How am I physically? Do I need sleep, food, exercise or maybe just some water?
How am I mentally? Am I experiencing focus, creativity or good decision making?
How am I emotionally? Am I practicing compassion, confidence, enjoyment and challenge?
How am I spiritually? Am I demonstrating integrity, honesty, commitment and conviction?
If the answer is no to any of these questions, I start creating a plan to reset each area that is suffering. We can only execute the two-minute drill effectively if we have plenty of available energy in all these four areas.
Recovery is key to success.
Human beings are extraordinary organisms. Humanity has responded to all kinds of external circumstances in our history. We have overcome, learned, grown and excelled. We have so much opportunity to reset and recover from all the lessons 2020 brought us both personally and professionally.
Not only can we recover, we can accelerate.
We can do it differently than we ever have before. My intention is to do it with the highest good of all concerned.
Take great care physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually and experience your renewed power. There are times when recovery seems impossible because we have too much to do, but even one minute of breathing is recovery. We can always find a way.
Your care makes a difference for all.
With deepest gratitude for your potential energy,
Fundamental of the Week #13: FIND A WAY
Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Take personal responsibility. Be innovative, assertive, and take initiative.
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