How Much Fun Do You Have?

I am not sure why, but this week I felt compelled to write on fun. I guess you could also call it rest. Those moments when we refuel our energy wells and disconnect from what it is we are constantly applying our focus upon. I remember walking through the streets of Barcelona last year and walking straight into a couple dancing. It was the middle of the day, in the middle of the busy street and this couple just decided to stop and enjoy the music which some buskers were providing.

This picture of rest and fun could possibly be springing to mind given we are now in the middle of April. We have probably all being pretty gung ho as we started 2011, but the big question is:

‘How are you feeling Right Now?’

I recall a story which involved some of our Appletree associates. They got to do some work with a Hospital down on the South Coast of KZN. They enquired as to when the busiest time of the year was for the staff. December and January was the obvious reply, but not for obvious reasons! You would have thought it had to do with road accidents and party related incidents. Actually, this particular time of year was notorious for something called ‘Executive Syndrome’. In a nutshell, the wards would fill up with executives from business as far as Johannesburg with cardiac and organ failure issues. Why? No rest. No Fun. Go Go Go! The entire year was all about pushing through, engaging, working. No break. When the body finally got a small chance it took all the rest it could get.

I feel, at this time of year, it is important for us to reflect on how we are feeling. It is still very possible for us to break any habits we have crept into for the year. I have posted articles before on energy management and re-filling your energy tanks so to speak. In this article I simply want to challenge you to have some fun. Do it right now. This weekend coming up is a long weekend - what are your plans? do they involve fun? will you be resting?

The greatest challenge for us, yet the most rewarding practice we can do is to get out of our heads and into our bodies. Hence the question - how do you feel? Stop with the over thinking, the worry, the anxiety, the responsible you and get out and play.

May you never think of yourself as to old, or to responsible to play, have fun, dance and ultimately... thrive in 2011.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Fear

I was running a workshop recently where I asked everyone to write down 3 things in their lives that were energizing them and 3 things that were draining them. This proved to be an easy task. I then asked them to think back 6 months, and recall things in their lives that were energizing them and others that were draining them at that stage. They could similarly do the same for a year back.

What we discovered is that in every stage of life there are things that are going well, and there are things that we struggle with. Sometimes we remember the good, sometimes we remember the bad. One lady said to me that 6 months ago she was " gripped by fear" and could not remember any good thing, even though in hindsight there were good things there. In essence, she was oblivious to the good that was present in her life due to being gripped by fear - her focus was on the bad and thus ignoring the good. What we give our attention to will have the greatest effect on our life, and so often our attention in gripped by fear. Fear is defined as: "unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat." Fear can be extremely powerful.

There is a story that speaks of the same thing. Jesus was walking on water towards his disciples. The story goes as follows:

"But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him." (Matt 14:27-31).

The turning point for Peter is when he takes his eyes away from Jesus. When he focusses on Jesus, he does the extraordinary, when he focusses on the storm he is gripped by fear and sinks.

Where are you sinking in your life? As a leader we are in many ways faced with many storms and many opportunities to do the extraordinary. but what are you empowering? Are you focussing on the storm, the struggles, the impossibilities, or are you focussing on your strengths and the opportunities before you?

What we focus on, we empower... What are you giving power to?

Beneath my desk is a grey box

I have a small office space with a wooden desk which I work on. A neatly placed Apple Mac lies on top next to a small pile of papers that are relevant to my current work. An orange ‘Mr Splat’ which is in essence a rubber man who has been squashed so I can lay my coffee cup on it sits next to my desk lamp. A pen rests on ‘post it’ notes that fuel my creativity. A few of my business cards lay neatly stacked with two business cards collected recently in Cape Town placed on top.

BUT

Beneath my desk is a grey box.

The lid of the box has to be encouraged to close. It holds every bit of paper which I still need to file, older business cards I collected, calculator, stapler, relevant cables and the most daunting of all - unopened post - lots of it.

It’s order and chaos in close proximity.

The thing is the grey box is for my eyes only anyway. You may look at the state of my workspace and get an idea of my character and working style.

Point is its not the full picture.

I need to spend time going through the grey box. I find that when there is some structure, some order, it creates space for me to be even more creative and productive. But I ignore it. Despite knowing how important it is, I don’t prioritise it. I just keep going and keep adding. I don’t stop.

Just like I need to spend time going through every file I have dragged off my desktop into the ‘to clear’ folder so you can see the full pic of U2’s stage.

Just like my clean room has built in cupboards...

Just like that ordered, neat image you are projecting has a heart and soul behind it that could be very much like my grey box. Full of a bunch of stuff that needs dealing with.

It’s easier, I know, just to chuck more stuff down there with the intent ‘to clear’ so that the outer picture looks good. It always rises to the surface. My grey box has a certain capacity and one day that one envelop will be too much for the box to carry and the lid won’t close exposing its contents to the world.

Order and chaos in close proximity.

When will you stop in the pace of life and deal with what really counts?

When will you open up the box and clean up the contents, create some order?

I am keen to get to the place, as an entrepreneur, that I can truly say that my desk and the grey box beneath it represent the same person.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com