In their work The Corporate Athlete Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr identify a challenge faced by working humans. They highlight our tendency to adopt a linear pattern of work - a tendency for motivated professionals to be continuously focussed on, engaged in and absorbed by their work. They describe the cost of such a lifestyle and suggest an alternative approach to personal energy management.
Work requires us to release stored energy. Work keeps coming. One job is followed by the next. We work as if we believe that by keeping working we will finish everything that needs to be done. Going home from work probably means starting another kind of work. IT means that we can work just about anywhere and at any time. As our energy flags we spur ourselves on with food, caffeine or adrenaline. We carry on working. Until we crash. Or we manage to keep going at a pitiful level of productivity and in constant energy debt. This is a linear energetic pattern. It is expected of us, encouraged and it is inefficient.
How can we develop an alternative to a linear energy expenditure pattern? How can we continually renew our energy reserves? Schwartz and Loehr recommend developing a rhythm of work and restoration. They prescribe recreational rituals, habits that allow us to enjoy continually renewed energy levels.
Energy can be measured in joules or calories but this is clearly not the whole story otherwise we could renew our energy simply by eating. What other kinds of depletable energies or resources are you aware of having? For each, what enables you to renew this energy? How could you incorporate this into a habit or ritual that would aid your continual recreation? E.g. My social energy is depleted if I spend a long time with people – especially draining ones. I find solitary activities, such as horticultural projects, allow my social energies to be renewed and so I have annual rituals such as the Great Harvesting And Distribution Of The Compost ceremony each autumn. Other less risk-free solitude winning rituals I seem to employ include being rude to people whenever I talk to them and not listening whenever someone opens their mouth.
Here are some ideas, rituals that work for other folk / organisms that you may choose to adopt or adapt:
- A Sabbath day each week
- Half a banana chewed pensively at the end of each set
- A half day of study each week
- Sleeping twice a day
- Letting go of formerly productive assets in the autumn
- Visualising success every time the clock chimes
- Hibernation
- Praying five times each day
- David Attenborough at the weekend
- Breathing exercises at the end of each email
- Swimming at lunch time
- A weekly appointment with an inspirational person
- Laying into a punch bag after each meeting
- Reading testimonials from happy clients, customers or colleagues every day
- Eating a handful of nuts and seeds whenever hungry
- Swinging dumb bells around every hour
Incorporating recreational rituals into our lives allows us to continually restore our resourcefulness and renew not just the quality of our work but also our consciousness, imagination, joy, sense of humour and many other things. What will you do to develop rhythm and ritual?
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