A Quality of Thought: Fuel

On my weekend ride, I take an energy bar with me. And I used to save it up until my halfway point, when I hit the top of the hill overlooking Pen Ponds in Richmond Park.But since those early days, I’ve been experimenting. And I find, if I fuel-up a little at the start and regularly throughout, the experience of my ride is far more enjoyable; and the end result far more satisfying. Obv.

And so it is with career. How I choose to do my “fuel” has a huge impact on my career experience and results.

How do you do your fuel?

We don’t often pay close attention to our fuel …

• On the micro scale, that lack of attention might play-out as working overly-long at our desk without brain breaks, movement breaks or drink breaks. As in: I’ll just finish one more thing and then I’ll go get a refill of water. All the while, sitting there, thirsty as you like. Operating well below par.
• On the macro scale, that lack of attention might play out as choosing to ignore the fact that spark we once had for our career has gone out. Or those once-unacceptable compromises have subtly drifted back into our work. All the while, dragging ourselves through a career that no longer lights us up. Operating well below par.

A few days ago, a client, in describing a must-have element to her career, said to me: “that’s my oxygen”. What a beautiful turn-of-phrase.

What’s your career oxygen?

And what are you doing, right now, to make sure you’re getting enough of it?