Changing Perspective

As leaders, how often do we give ourselves permission to just let go of the daily grind and truly disconnect? I anticipate it is not nearly often enough. I want to challenge leaders to consider stepping away from their day to day and change their perspective. 

The pressures of leadership are real. I know this. However, leadership is a marathon, not a sprint. And to make it through the marathon, we all need to step back from the grind, refocus our lens, and have time to think in absence of the minutiae, decision-making, and stress that comprise many hours of a typical week for a leader. 

For the past two weeks, I’ve been able to step away from the day to day of my job and change perspective. 

And I will be honest: it’s been fantastic. 

I changed perspective literally with a physical relocation… by being home, at my cottage nestled on the water. I spent a lot of time out in nature, be it in my garden (photo), in the woods, or on the beach. It is amazing what fresh air and nature can do to re-center you. This is different from going on a vacation - taking a trip somewhere usually comes with its own itinerary and “to do” list. I’m talking about a physical relocation that frees you and doesn’t exchange one kind of busy for a new/different kind of busy. 

I changed perspective by engaging in a digital detox. I turned off social media, quit reading the news, and in general, kept away from the computer as much as humanly possible. I found it interesting to note how refreshing it felt to be unplugged from technology and tuned in to my friends, my neighbors, and myself. 

I changed perspective by engaging in more mindful behavior, taking time to just be present, to reflect, to journal. I watched sunsets, I put my hands in the soil with gardening, I wrote a lot, and I spent time alone to think and process. 

I changed perspective by changing up routines. I gave myself permission to work or play as I pleased, and avoided a set daily schedule. Each day was a bit different from the last, even if some elements carried through from day to day. 

And… it was astonishing how restorative these things have been. To feel the physical change. To see the mental focus and clarity that settled in. 

I gained a new level of focus and clarity that had been largely absent for the past few months. I reconnected with parts of myself that had been absent. I reconnected with people in my life who are important to me and my well being. And perhaps most important, I have attained a lot of clarity on my next steps, better defined how I want to show up in the world, and have a better sense of what I want to accomplish and do. 

While vacations are important, and getting out and about into the world is important, I can’t emphasize how incredibly helpful and meaningful it has been to have time to just… re-center and refocus. With no agenda carved in stone, no itinerary to follow, no meetings scheduled on the calendar. Where my primary focus has been to breathe, do things that I need and want to do, and connect with myself and friends. 

This time has actually been much more productive personally and professionally than logging another week at the computer or in the office. By clearing my mind of the daily routine, I freed myself to think about things non-linearly, differently, and to really, truly gain perspective.

Changing perspective is important. Gaining perspective is the result. 

Moving forward, my hope is to integrate at least a day or two like this at least biweekly. I anticipate that my productivity will exponentially increase, and my sense of personal happiness will too. 

How do you change perspective? How do you set yourself up to think differently, approach your work differently, to see the world differently? How do you give yourself time to disconnect from the grind to truly connect to yourself? 

These are essential questions for any leader to contemplate.