Switching Gears

Earlier this morning, I participated in my first "duathalon" class - Technically, a duathlon is a competition that is composed of running and biking where you switch back and forth - run-bike-run. This means you start with a run, then transition to the bike, then transition back to running again. And since your the time includes you switching from running to cycling and back again as part of your race time, this meant the instructor was working his stopwatch! Now I had little to no motivation in my time - my motivation was purely one of curiosity and and avoiding work-out ruts.

It was one of the longest hours I have ever lived... I couldn't get in a real rhythm, and just when I thought I could do several of the intervals, the rules changed - the pace, time, something changed on me. My legs felt weak and trembled when I went from the bike to the track, and my only focus was my breath.

Just after the class ended and I was still panting like a dog, I began to think of all of the change and switching back and forth we are asked to do these days. Leaders frequently tell me their organization is much faster-paced than others; it's much leaner with a larger volume of work. They believe their culture is unique in speed and rigor, and many times, it's leaving them out of breath and stressed.

So the real win seems not to be how fast you are in one area, but how smoothly you can switch gears. It's creating focus when things get fuzzy, and staying the course even when you want to give up. Figuring out what you truly value and being connected with your purpose can give you the resilience against stress. Without this clarity, leading becomes yet another lap to run, another thing to do.  

If switching gears is here to stay, then ask: How do you handle changing directions? How do you interpret the shift? Are you a victim, or do you blame others? Where do you get stuck, and most importantly, how do you get unstuck?

Time Out

When my 12-year old twins were younger, I used the classic "time out" as a consequence for behavior.  For the most part, it helped the situation by changing the environment and therefore, shifting the mood, even though it wasn't particularly welcomed by them. 


As I work with leaders who have multiple priorities and demands, I wonder about the value of a "time out" in evaluating what's most important. What's the value in a stopping point? To a high achieving leader, this isn't an easy thing - it's not welcomed as adults anymore than kids. Let's face it, stopping in a lean, fast-paced, performance oriented culture doesn't seem like a natural next step. 


But what if this step gave us the chance to truly move forward? To Expand. Notice. Listen. Discern. Prioritizing the time to stop may help us more fully see the possibilities in front of us.  Just two minutes of breathing with intention and becoming aware of the present moment can give us some desperately needed clarity and insight. 


In your daily life, where do you take the time to reflect, create, and discover what's really happening? Where can you shift to make this priority a reality?