One pan, One phone, No spoon. A Lesson in Self-Leadership
One pan. One phone. No spoon.
I recently watched a member of my family making some breakfast.
They had a pan in one hand and a phone in the other. How, and with what, they were going to stir the eggs was not an immediate concern.
There is no judgement here. I know I have done, and still do, very similar things at times. However, it was eye-opening watching someone else do it. Seeing the distraction pull their attention away from the task in hand so clearly made me stop and think about what it means to be truly present (or not) in our everyday tasks.
There are so many things that demand our attention, at work and at home, that it can feel like a luxury to intentionally protect time to be fully engaged with one thing. I've learnt through trial and error, and with a good dose of self-reflection, what I need to be truly focused. Sadly, knowing that doesn't make it any easier. Apparently, knowing what I need and actually doing it can be two very different things.
Recognizing this is a big part of self-leadership. Certainly, no one has it all figured out all the time, but knowing yourself well enough to recognize what helps you do your best, and then continuing to work at it, can only be a good thing.
Some days I win the fight against the urge to check emails mid-task or respond to a notification straight away. Other days, not so much. I have come to the conclusion that self-leadership isn't something we ever really master and that could be the point. The learning is likely about noticing our behaviours and patterns, making small adjustments and continuing to move forward.
Leadership coaching can offer protected space to step back, notice some of those patterns and explore what you might want to do differently.
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Bio:
Suzie Read is a Certified Professional Leadership Coach and facilitator based on Vancouver Island. She works with established leaders and business owners, creating space and perspective to step out of the day-to-day, consider where to focus their attention and lead people well in changing conditions. She is the owner of Suzie Read Coaching and co-founder of Built for Change and is a member of the International Coaching federation (ICF) and a Licensed Motivational Map® Practitioner.
