A quick review for those who haven’t been following this week’s posts on Self-Leadership: The past couple of days we’ve been looking at Michael Hyatt’s five “R’s” of managing energy. Hyatt contends that we can’t ultimately manage time, because it’s a fixed resource, but we can manage our energy, and to do so, we must use the five “R’s” effectively. The five “R’s” parallel the seven principles of Life Management, which I introduced back in July. The five “R’s” included: Rest, Refreshment, Recreation, Relationships, and Reflection.
Today, we turn to Recreation. For Hyatt recreation includes exercise and play. Once again, Hyatt doesn’t break any new ground when he talks about exercise, noting that we need exercise that addresses the aerobic, strength-building, flexibility and balance areas of our bodies. It is a helpful reminder, though, when we’re talking about energy to focus on exercise, because while it seems that exercise would deplete our energy, it actually builds energy over time. Healthy and fit bodies have more energy than those that are weak and out of shape.
Once again, I have experienced this personally both in practicing healthy exercise patterns and in not practicing them. For my entire adult life, I have let the pendulum swing back and forth in this area. To give an example of the extremes to which the pendulum has swung, ten years ago I was so out of shape that I could only “run” an 1/8 of a mile, so I decided to do something about it. Six months later I ran in, and completed, the Cleveland Marathon. Over that time my weight went from about 215 pounds to 180 pounds. I felt better than I had in years. Over the ensuing years, I continued running for a while, then after an injury swam a mile a day for a year or so. Following that, I “took a break,” which is a euphemism for saying I didn’t exercise regularly for six months. Then I started P90X and over the next two years completed P90X twice, P90X2 and P90X3.
The point here is that exercise is part of Recreation, which is part of self leadership. What is your routine? Do you exercise regularly? Do you swing back and forth from maintaining an exercise regimen to not doing so? In order to maintain the energy we need to live productive lives, and particularly to do so as leaders, we need to include exercise in our daily schedule.
Hyatt adds play to recreation, which I found both interesting and helpful. After all, as the old saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” We do need to play, to take time to have fun with our spouses, our families and with friends. The other night Nancy and I went to the Pirates’ game. While the game itself was a disappointment, we enjoyed the evening together, as well as with those who sat around us. A couple from Wisconsin, who were there to root for the Chicago Cubs, provided an evening of light-hearted jabbing back and forth. The great thing about fun is it doesn’t have to be expensive. We can play a board game with our family, or get together with friends to watch a free concert in a local park during the summer months.
Hyatt points out that recreation is intended to re-create us, and when we maintain appropriate levels of exercise and play that’s precisely what happens. Our bodies respond with greater health, our attitudes grow more positive and our overall demeanor becomes more positive. Recreation is definitely an energizer when we include it regularly in our lives, so if we want to be great leaders, it’s important to include it as a priority in our lives.
Here’s to leading better by including recreation–exercise and play–in our lives–today!