Adrenaline-Fueled Panic is NOT a Strategy

A comic strip I found in 2010 reminded me of a lesson hard-learned: A skill over-used, or a strategy wrongly applied, can be a fast path to disaster.

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What Defines You?

My father passed away a month ago. In his eulogy, I wrote, "it's ironic that the man with a beautiful, limitless heart battled a failing heart for three decades. The magical part is that he never let the failing tissue define him. What defined him was his love and his playful, teen-age exuberance." I wonder how he would have answered had I thought to ask him the question: "What defines you?" (There are so many questions I wish I had asked him.)

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Really?!

Is it the end of the year already? Really?! It's hard for us to believe how fast the year went. It's been full of stretching and growth, set-backs and leaps forwards, upheaval and joy. With 2013 mere days away, we find the words of Stephen R. Covey coming to mind: "How different our lives are when we really know ..."

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Back in the Saddle

As I was digging out from an over-full inbox, I came across a quote from Leonardo da Vinci:

Iron rusts from disuse,

stagnant water loses its purity,
and in cold weather becomes frozen;
even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.

I got curious ... Where am I frozen? Where am I choosing inaction? Where am I losing my edge? What is available to me that I'm not using?

Homework Set Yourself Up for Success:  » Where do you set unrealistic expectations?  » How does "overwhelm" leave you feeling stuck?  » What do you want to change? Here's the hard, beautiful truth: at every moment, you are at choice. Share your learning »

That last question stung. I have flexibility in my schedule and an incredibly supportive business (and life) partner. Our company is growing, our kids are actively engaged in their worlds and we have a very full life. And yet, I have NOT been making the time to take care of myself. Cycling is something I love, something that feeds me, something that allows me to say sharp, something that keeps me fit. My bike is not exactly rusting, but my inaction has been dulling my blade - both body and mind.

I spent Sunday watching my riding buddies disappear up the hill ahead of me. At first, I was pissed that they were ahead of me. And then I started this mantra: "I've got nothing to prove, and no one to prove it to." I realized that it's not about measuring myself against anyone else, it's about competing with myself to get to where I want to be.

I have recommitted to making the time for myself in the midst of everything else ... in service of being more present for my family and my work. Yes, I've lost my edge, for now. BUT ... I am back on the bike, moving, pushing, clearing out the cobwebs.

That's what's available to me. What about you?

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David Taylor-Klaus is a Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Life Coach and a Partner in Touchstone Coaching. His passion is working with busy "40-somethings" to build profitable businesses, raise thriving families and create fulfilling lives.