For me, the words of the great Master Leonardo are very apt. We need to constantly remind ourselves of what’s really important and be aware that time is always moving on.
In the last month, I have stepped back and gone on a few trips away to refresh and de-stress myself. I had found myself in a series of mental ruts that were halting my progress and affecting my attitude.
In short, I was stressed out and felt I was losing my focus.
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgment. Go some distance away, because then the work appears smaller, and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”
– Leonardo da Vinci
The school term had been difficult with many changes and ‘juggling many balls in the air’ both at work and at home. The kids were getting less and less from me and I had lost perspective on why I was stepping towards my goals.
We had just experienced significant breakthroughs in our lives but the weariness of the journey had tainted the outcomes and was stealing the joys that should come with our victories.
As a society, we spruik work life balance as a mantra but rarely do we allow time to just be human. I believe that we need to slow down and make goals, defining our values to serve as the parameters that we use to measure opportunities and possibilities.
I once heard it said that in the 21st century it will be not what we take notice off, but how much we can ignore that will define our lives. With the constant bombardment of information, we need to define and enforce our reading, watching and language to fit our desired outcomes. With the current polarisation and negativity in the world, it is important that we now, more than ever, decide and enforce a diet of good input into our minds.
I have found that when putting these barriers in place, it has not restricted my life but actually freed me up to actively work effectively in my arenas of talent and responsibility and be able to say a clear no to all the other things on offer.
Sometimes choosing one thing means sacrificing something else but those who are not focused tend to run from one thing to another, never really being effective at anything or doing those things well.
I’m glad I stepped back for those few days. If we leave it too long, a situation can occur that leaves us wondering why we ignored the stress signs. By stepping back, the world did not collapse around me or around the people who I left behind. It provided space to re-jig my thoughts and revisit my channel of focus, jettisoning old worn out perspectives and streamlining new ideas.
Even those of us who career coach need to practice what we preach and refuel and replenish our stocks of energy and enthusiasm.
Engaging a coach, like me, encourages and guides you in working out your goals and setting your parameters. Remember that being different is your biggest asset and you don’t have to be like everyone else.
If you need a career coach, drop me an email or private message today to get you on the right track.
Dave Brebner.
About the Author:
Dave is an Adult Educator, Speaker and Youth leader living in Western Sydney, Australia where he teaches the Electrical Trades at the Western Sydney Institute. He has Diplomas in Business and Training, a Bachelors Degree in Adult Education, Vocational and Workplace Training and a Masters of Education with a major in Career Development. He has lived with Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders since an early age. He is married with 6 children. He is a passionate coach and mentor to young people especially in the vocational guidance and career development areas. Dave is a professional member of the Career Development Association of Australia and has authored a course on Living with Tourette’s which you can study and purchase online through his website – www.davebrebner.com.