In this week’s article, I want to share an important business and life lesson I’ve learned both over the course of starting and running my own business as well as from a recent trip to Shanghai visiting old students:
It’s something that can be very easy to forget about during your career and life journey (trust me, I’ve been there), but in my opinion, it’s something you cannot afford to forget about:
Take good care of yourself.
When speaking with my old students, life science managers, we had some really in-depth conversations about life, health, business, and purpose.
One thing they told me about is the powerful influence of “内卷” (nei juan), which when translated into English, is “involution”.
(If you don’t read Chinese, don’t worry! I’m simply referencing this to share the idea behind this word)
It’s not a word many native English speakers use all the time, but the concept is all too real, and is an important, real-world phenomenon with real-life implications for managers and professionals around the world.
In simple terms to fit this into this brief article for you, 内卷 refers to increasing competition within some companies just to keep your job.
Think… “If they work 10 hours a day and I work 12 hours a day (regardless of actual productivity), I have a better chance of not losing my job”.
There are some more nuances to it, but that’s a gist of the idea.
And over good food, tea, and coffee, we had some really in-depth conversations on all of this, and I reminded my students, my friends, of 4 important things I always remind my clients and students about:
1. Take care of your health:
Don’t forget to take care of your health. Exercise. Eat well. Sleep well. The basics.
2. Take care of your energy and spirit:
Take good care of your spirit and well-being. Learn often. Make time to laugh and enjoy life’s pleasures too. You won’t be very productive if you’re burnt out.
3. Learn how to create options for yourself:
In your career and life, whether it’s the work you choose, the people you surround yourself with, or where you can live, over time, learn how to “create” more options for yourself = options = leverage = stronger decisions that can work in you + your family’s favor.
4. Find your “balance point”:
Find your “balance point” between your life, work, self-development, learning, health, family, social life, etc.
Everyone is different, so worry less about what/how others do things, and discover the way that works best for you, your routine, your life, and the people you care about.
Easier said than done, I know. It’s not always easy, it can take some trial and error, some experimentation, and yes, time and energy.
But it’s an investment I ALWAYS encourage you to make in yourself, for your own health, for your well-being, for your happiness, and for those you care about, for YOUR life.
While I believe we were made both to work and enjoy life, we’re not robots.
Don’t let any boss or “leader” force or bully you into thinking that way either.
Over time, learn how to carve out your own path in life, live with intent, create the life YOU want to live for YOU and the people you care about, and really make sure you’re spending your time and energy where you want to spend it most.
It’s not always easy, but, I KNOW you can do this, if you’re reading this article, this means you’re invested in yourself, your life, your success, and your well-being, I KNOW you can do it!
This week’s message is a very personal one because I’ve been there too.
I know the stress, frustration, and exhaustion this can cause, and this is exactly why I wanted to share this with you today.
It’s an investment in YOU.
Carlos
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