Sustainable Ambition Forum - 03.23.21

 
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I don’t know about you, but it’s seemed like a lot of us have been weary at the start of the year. And yet, I’m starting to sense the energy and hopefulness of spring. The sun is coming out, trees are blooming, and people are starting to feel like it’s safe to come out of our cocoons.

And as you do so, I encourage you to think about how you can build some work-life resilience. I don’t think work-life balance is what we should be shooting for. Balance isn’t sustainable. As David Brown said in Episode #9 of our podcast, “Balance as a word makes you think about stability, but in reality it’s a constant alertness. You only notice balance when you notice you aren't in balance and are swinging one way.”

So, what do I mean by work-life resilience? I mean instead to think about how you build up your resources—internal and external—to support your personal and work life so you can maintain the right effort over the course of time. For example, there will be times you need to lean in and call on grit; how do you build the capacity to do so and how do you recover?

One way to build resilience that I often mention is from Dr. Rick Hanson. He wrote a book on Resilience, and he talks about the importance of having an experience and really internalizing it to have it fill up your resources. What does that look like? To simplify, being on a walk and really taking in the sunshine on your face and the nature around you. Or, listening to a song you love and dialing it up, dancing and letting yourself go, losing yourself in the music.

I’d love to know - what are ways that you build your work-life resilience? It could be self-care, making sure you exercise, building up a strong team that is empowered and capable, and so on.

You’ll also find below:

  • Our typical round up keeping the theme

  • Episode #5 of The Sustainable Ambition Podcast with Wade Brill, a Mindfulness Coach, for some great insight on managing overwhelm and radical self. As Wade says, “Making yourself a priority is not selfish, it’s smart.”

  • And, introducing our new Youtube channel! Check it out and subscribe. We plan to offer content there in another format in case you prefer to learn via video.

Welcome to spring, all!
Kathy


The Round-Up

Right Success: A treatise on the meaning of work courtesy of The School of Life, one of my favorite London-based deep thinking sources. This thinking reminds me of what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes in his book, “Flow,” “People who find their lives meaningful usually have a goal that is challenging enough to take up all their energies, a goal that can give significance to their lives. We may refer to this process as achieving purpose.”

Right Aspiration: Another long, but interesting read from Cal Newport on the falsehood of personal productivity, which ignores the fact that we are all impacted by the sytsems within which we work. If we are to gain control of our work lives, we need to ask our organizations to change how they function. As Newport notes, “The benefits of top-down interventions designed to protect both attention and autonomy could be significant.” And this is becoming VERY important during the pandemic and will be that much more so as we enter a new world of flexible work. Imagine what might be possible if we could get control of our “overload culture.”

Right Effort: This is a great article offering tips for high-achievers who want to make sure they avoid burnout.

Reading: What were your top lessons from the last year of the pandemic? This is a good read on a crowdsourced reflection. “#7: We Consistently Underestimate Our Resilience and Adaptability.” We are quite resilient. How do we build that muscle? (And, please ignore the profanity at the end of the page! It’s his thing.)

Listening: Another offer from Dr. Rick Hanson, on this episode of his Being Well podcast, he and his son talk about the power of accepting our own needs and address how that, too, can build resilience.

Watching: Watch this video to nerd out and learn more about Dr. Rick Hanson’s teaching on resilience.

Smiling: ICYMI: Do you all know about Lunch Club?! Here’s their pitch: “We facilitate casual conversations that lead to not-so-casual professional impact.” It’s become popular during the pandemic to create connection and serendipitous moments. If you are feeling disconnected, check it out!


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The Sustainable Ambition Podcast - Episode 5

Join me for conversations with experts, authors, and friends on
what it means to live with Sustainable Ambition.

I loved speaking with Wade Brill, a Mindfulness Coach, the Centered in the City podcast host, and Speaker, for this conversation on managing overwhelm, warning signs of burnout, and radical self-care. If you are in need of tips on building some work-life resiliency right now, this is the episode for you!

Find it on Apple Podcast here
Or, listen on our website here

You can also find the podcast, subscribe, and listen on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast.

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The Sustainable Ambition YouTube Channel

JUST LAUNCHED!

Want to learn more about Sustainable Ambition in a different format? Find me now on YouTube! I’d love it if you’d join me and subscribe. Thanks!


A Practice: Shift Your Energy

Getting anxious? Feel frustration rising? Notice your energy lagging? It’s time to shift your energy and your mood! What to do? Get into action. To calm your mind, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself, as Dr. Rick Hanson advices, “I’m okay right now.” To ease frustration, force yourself to smile and laugh! To get your heart pumping, blare the music and get your dance moves on! The most important thing is to notice it and then get into action!



“We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives.” 

Maya Angelou

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SUSTAINABLE AMBITION™ IS ABOUT CRAFTING A FULFILLING CAREER TO SUPPORT YOUR LIFE FROM DECADE TO DECADE.

It is centered around articulating your personal definition of success and achieving that without burnout while honoring your personal aspirations and ambitions as they ebb and flow over time. The end game—more fulfillment and ease in your professional and personal life, while still being ambitious.

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