It’s part two in our series of Cadence conversations. We’re picking up from last time, where I kicked it all off with the idea of the business athlete, for a high-performance culture. I then talked about the first phase of the Cadence Approach, which is ‘predict’, asking you the question, “When are your Wimbledons?” – when are the big events coming up for you professionally, but also personally? So, once you’ve identified that big event, such as quarterly sales results or a house move, you can start getting ready for that. It’s great to have these important things nailed down. However, there are things we can’t predict. Things we don’t see coming that blindside us. Which is why the second phase, ‘prepare’, isn’t just about getting ready for the things we know are going to happen. It’s about staying in a basic state of readiness by taking steps to build your bulletproof.
Daily non-negotiables
So, how do we do that? It’s simple – with one, two, perhaps three non-negotiables: things we do every day that keep us in a basic state of good mental, physical and emotional health. Here are mine as an example…
Sleep with a seven
Firstly, I like to get between seven and eight hours of good quality sleep every night – I can’t always control this, but wherever I can, I do! I call this, ‘sleep with a seven’, and it’s not just a case of going to bed earlier. In fact, it involves a specific bedtime routine that helps to prepare my mind and body for deep, restorative rest.
Getting more greens
It probably goes without saying that eating more greens has an abundance of health benefits. According to one study, participants who were given an extra 2.5 portions of vegetables on top of what they ate usually showed a lower risk of heart and cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and premature death. So, by whizzing up a load of greens into a smoothie every morning, I know I’m getting a tonne of good stuff to keep me healthy and energised. I also add flax seeds; berries; protein powder; and creatine. So, it doesn’t always matter if lunch isn’t great, because I’ve got all that in for breakfast.
Step count
Simple, yet one of the most effective ways to stay healthy, my third non-negotiable is step count. I like to do a certain number of steps a day – I’m not going to share it, this goal is personal for all of us – predominantly because it’s great for my overall fitness, but it also works wonders for mood and energy. Did you know, that even just a ten-minute brisk walk can improve mood and energy for up to two hours afterwards? Read our tips for getting more steps into your daily routine.
There you have it: my three daily non-negotiables. But yours could look completely different. So, what small actions will you take to build your bulletproof? If you’re still not sure, let’s look at the categories you should be thinking about…
Dealing with the rigours of daily life
Our aim is to make sure we have good stress resiliency to deal with the rigours of everyday life; of working life. We want to prepare ourselves for specific events, but also stay ready for the things we can’t see coming. Therefore, the categories we should consider are…
- Strength – A broad category, it could be physical or mental strength, define it as you will. For me, it’s a physical thing, so I’ve got a PT session per week as well as an additional session.
- Health – The single biggest thing I can do for my health is to wear a mask when travelling through busy streets. I live in London, and the environmental pollution exacerbates my asthma.
- Energy – Here, I’m looking at food and movement. As I said earlier in this blog post, I use smoothies and steps to stay energised throughout the day.
- Mood – This one is specifically about food: three solid meals a day, nothing that disrupts my blood sugar too much!
- Motivation – This comes from things like charity work; pursuing a sport, which in my case is golf. And that’s great for a whole host of reasons – it’s certainly a learning curve!
Build your bulletproof
Strength, health, energy, mood, and motivation – you can focus on one, or all five. But these are the categories I suggest you focus on to build your bulletproof to prepare for the events you’ve identified and be ready for any surprises. So, in the last blog, we talked about the ‘predict’ phase. This time we talked about ‘prepare’. Next time, we’ll talk about ‘perform’, and the necessity of respecting your red flags.
Cadence book
Burnout among busy professionals is reaching epidemic proportions and results in unhappiness, impaired mental health and shortened careers. Leanne’s book, Cadence, can help. Inside the pages of this short, easy read, you will discover how to apply the simple and effective Cadence Approach™ to your life. It’s the secret to beating burnout and performing in life and work.
Join us for our upcoming webinar
Join us for our latest webinar, BOND: How to create a culture of belonging and connection in your teams (in the age of AI), on Wednesday 28th February 2024, 1:00pm.
