Leading strategy? The three key ingredients for rejuvenation. Post 2 of 3

“You can go to heaven if you want. I’d rather stay in Bermuda.” —Mark Twain

There are, of course, many compelling reasons to take a vacation, but here is one that reconciles with your business objectives.

Go slow to go fast.

To bring our best selves forward to complex and high-pressure strategy, we need clear minds and fulsome spirits.

Optimize your rejuvenation

We all need to rejuvenate in different ways, of course. However, it seems to me there are three simple, but key, ingredients:

1. Rest
2. Reflect
3. Explore

The body has physical needs. There is no point disputing this. “Mind over matter” only works until it matters. When we are physically run down, our bodies shut down for us. Let’s not get there.

A few weeks ago, my husband, my two sons, and I took a trip to Bermuda. It’s my homeland; my children were born there, and we lived there for five years in the late nineties. It is at once both familiar and intriguing. For all of us, it was a chance to kick back, sleep, eat, reflect, and explore. It was just what we needed to reenergize ourselves.

Decision One: “Go with the flow”

The first decision we made was to “go with the flow.” We slept every morning until we weren’t tired anymore. Then we ate, healthy, as needed.

Over a couple of days we could all feel our clarity coming back. We became more interested in the events around us, more curious, more demanding. A great golf game for the boys and a little exploring in the city began gearing us all up.

Our conversations turned lazily to the issues we have been wrestling with. For our teenage boys it was about how school was going, decisions around course selection, university options, and summer jobs. But without the intensity that pressure brings, our conversations were reflective and interactive.

Turning over the issues like rocks on the beach, looking at the implications less passionately, more curiously, more resourcefully, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” became “What are you interested in? What is important to you?” One conversation even turned into “If you were going to get a tattoo, what would you want on your body forever?”

Reuniting with our best selves

It has occurred to me before that under pressure of strategy execution or any other major change, we lose sight of who we are. We become a product of that environment. We get wound tighter and tighter. Our best selves fade into the background.

Returning to familiar things and places reminds us of our best selves. This gives us confidence, inspires us, rejuvenates us. All around us are memories of accomplishment and people who believe in us. This is powerful stuff. It frees us of our insecurities and feeds our courage.

Decision Two: Explore

The second decision we made was to explore―to do some things we have never done―get outside our comfort zone. I was born on this little rock, 21 miles long and 3 miles wide in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and I have only been off-shore once before. This year we decided to go whale watching. It was long-time dream of mine and my family humored me.

We were all somewhat intimidated. The sea is vast and even six miles off shore is farther than any of us could swim. The thought of seeing wild whales bigger than our 45-foot boat filled us with both awe and fear. Not to mention the risk of being seasick for six hours…

Curious to hear about our whale-watching adventure? The only thing better than a real vacation is a vicarious one. Stay tuned for Post 3 next week. Want to subscribe? Sign up top left.

Related Posts:

• Leading strategy? The business case for rejuvenation. Post 1 of 3
• Leading Strategy? Vicarious rejuvenation. Post 3 of 3
• Longing for the endless immensity of great leadership
• Breakthroughs in strategy

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