I've been fascinated by this question for most of my life. My uncle was the CEO of Puget Sound Power and Light and family reunions always raised the issue for me over and over. How does he do that?
For all of us it’s a choice of how we want to spend our universal allocation of 168 hours a week. No one can fit every —AL aspect of life (physical, emotional, intellectual, professional, spiritual, social, marital, parental, financial, and so on for at least 13 aspects) in every day. AND exercising once a month or spending time with family once a month is clearly not enough. SO, the WEEK is the building block of life. From the day we are born (the center of the chart below), we begin to develop in multiple --AL directions. Over time we might "develop" the blue shape below, developed on some dimensions and "under-developed" in other dimensions. IF we have goals (the green line) we can check ourselves year after year in January to see how we are progressing. The OUTER RING represents "world-class" or "ten" development. "World Class" on the ProfessionAL dimension might be "president of a first-world country." CEO of a major corporation might be a "9" on that scale. "Ten" on the FinanciAL dimension would be Jeff Bezos (in 2020) at $145Billion.
THEN, add managing ENERGY to the equation. People with higher energy can get more done in the same 168 hours. Energy is a function of brain chemistry (ADHDs like my wife often need a nap after doing one thing), body chemistry, physical habits (like diet, exercise, sleep and rest), PURPOSE and early childhood training and development.
If we have a clear purpose in life (most don’t), we can allocate our time and energy in service of our purpose. Consider a daily cycle: DO → REST. Most people go through life going around that cycle over and over again. A better cycle would be: DO → REST → LEARN → DO. IF we adopt that cycle, we could become gradually better and better at what we do.
That said, significant numbers of people get “stuck” in one phase or another. Habitual DOers can develop workaholism—which is deadly. (Japan has a word, karoushi for it). Habitual RESTers get little done and spend their lives wishing they didn’t have to work and wanting to be lying down somewhere. Habitual LEARNers also don’t get much done except more learning, like some academics. These “whirlpools” or “eddies” in the stream of life can be the result of brain chemistry, early childhood habits, or many other factors.
CEO’s have very demanding jobs that require a wide range of skills. Many of them compensate by emphasizing their favorite issues or skills. Former CFO’s who become CEO’s tend to focus on financial results and may not be the best people managers. Chief marketing officers tend as CEO’s tend to focus on the top line. And so on.
SELF LEADERSHIP becomes increasingly important as people gain more responsibility. How can they get the sleep, exercise, diet, and mental peace to create a sustainable lifestyle? Richard Branson and Henry Ford III seem to have worked it out. Many celebrities seem to be self-destructive with drugs, lack of sleep, alcoholism, etc. Some who focus first on career don’t marry or have other interests but are monomaniacally focused on their careers. John Steinbeck wrote in his diary while feuding with his wife, If a man has a wife and he can’t write, he should get a new wife.
It’s all about VABEs. We define who we are by our behaviors which are based on our semi-conscious VABEs. Each week, we allocate time and energy to the various —AL aspects of life and another block goes into the edifice that becomes our Life. When we are self managing (see for example the Book of SELF in my book A Song of Humanity) we are more likely to get where we want to be. Rather than drifting and then waking up one day and going, HOW did I get here?
As Cmdr Abrashoff said in his book, It's Your Ship! That is, your life and your career are your ship and you are, if you choose to be, the Captain of that Ship. You can decide the purpose of your ship, the destination of your ship, how fast you will go, whom to invite on board, where you will put into port, and the fitness of your ship. If you choose to do so.
For all of us it’s a choice of how we want to spend our universal allocation of 168 hours a week. No one can fit every —AL aspect of life (physical, emotional, intellectual, professional, spiritual, social, marital, parental, financial, and so on for at least 13 aspects) in every day. AND exercising once a month or spending time with family once a month is clearly not enough. SO, the WEEK is the building block of life. From the day we are born (the center of the chart below), we begin to develop in multiple --AL directions. Over time we might "develop" the blue shape below, developed on some dimensions and "under-developed" in other dimensions. IF we have goals (the green line) we can check ourselves year after year in January to see how we are progressing. The OUTER RING represents "world-class" or "ten" development. "World Class" on the ProfessionAL dimension might be "president of a first-world country." CEO of a major corporation might be a "9" on that scale. "Ten" on the FinanciAL dimension would be Jeff Bezos (in 2020) at $145Billion.
THEN, add managing ENERGY to the equation. People with higher energy can get more done in the same 168 hours. Energy is a function of brain chemistry (ADHDs like my wife often need a nap after doing one thing), body chemistry, physical habits (like diet, exercise, sleep and rest), PURPOSE and early childhood training and development.
If we have a clear purpose in life (most don’t), we can allocate our time and energy in service of our purpose. Consider a daily cycle: DO → REST. Most people go through life going around that cycle over and over again. A better cycle would be: DO → REST → LEARN → DO. IF we adopt that cycle, we could become gradually better and better at what we do.
That said, significant numbers of people get “stuck” in one phase or another. Habitual DOers can develop workaholism—which is deadly. (Japan has a word, karoushi for it). Habitual RESTers get little done and spend their lives wishing they didn’t have to work and wanting to be lying down somewhere. Habitual LEARNers also don’t get much done except more learning, like some academics. These “whirlpools” or “eddies” in the stream of life can be the result of brain chemistry, early childhood habits, or many other factors.
CEO’s have very demanding jobs that require a wide range of skills. Many of them compensate by emphasizing their favorite issues or skills. Former CFO’s who become CEO’s tend to focus on financial results and may not be the best people managers. Chief marketing officers tend as CEO’s tend to focus on the top line. And so on.
SELF LEADERSHIP becomes increasingly important as people gain more responsibility. How can they get the sleep, exercise, diet, and mental peace to create a sustainable lifestyle? Richard Branson and Henry Ford III seem to have worked it out. Many celebrities seem to be self-destructive with drugs, lack of sleep, alcoholism, etc. Some who focus first on career don’t marry or have other interests but are monomaniacally focused on their careers. John Steinbeck wrote in his diary while feuding with his wife, If a man has a wife and he can’t write, he should get a new wife.
It’s all about VABEs. We define who we are by our behaviors which are based on our semi-conscious VABEs. Each week, we allocate time and energy to the various —AL aspects of life and another block goes into the edifice that becomes our Life. When we are self managing (see for example the Book of SELF in my book A Song of Humanity) we are more likely to get where we want to be. Rather than drifting and then waking up one day and going, HOW did I get here?
As Cmdr Abrashoff said in his book, It's Your Ship! That is, your life and your career are your ship and you are, if you choose to be, the Captain of that Ship. You can decide the purpose of your ship, the destination of your ship, how fast you will go, whom to invite on board, where you will put into port, and the fitness of your ship. If you choose to do so.
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