by Elisabeth White | 1 Minute Read
I’m a Coach by profession, Facilitator by trade, and CEO by title. I’m fortunate to have a career that’s both my passion and #1 hobby. From 2014 through 2017, I had an amazing mentor who specialized in time management and organizational skills. She told me that when we live our passion, it’s important to create routines throughout the day and week to avoid over-commitment and burnout. These routines would not only support organization and prioritization, but also provide checks and balances for keeping joy in the work we love. Following or breaking routines could serve as indicators for professional wellbeing. The leads me to “The Banana…”
I love bananas! They are my favorite fruit! I start every morning with a banana and a cup of coffee. It’s my favorite, simplest routine and gets me pumped for the day. It’s also one of my most important routines because when I skip it, I know something is off. This routine is not time or effort intensive and gets me excited for the day. So why would I skip it? Over-commitment and burnout.
On an unexpecting Tuesday morning, I walked into my kitchen to start my favorite routine. I immediately encountered a problem… No bananas! I started preparing my coffee and thought to myself, “How did I forget to buy bananas? I love bananas!” And that’s when I stopped, breathed, and assessed my professional wellbeing. After self-reflection, I realized I had over-committed and reached burnout - my routines had broken down. I hadn’t bought bananas because I didn’t have the capacity to ensure my favorite, simplest routine could be performed.
How do we avoid this scenario? Bananas! What’s your indicator? What will trigger you to stop, breathe, and asses your professional wellbeing? What checks and balances have you built into your week to keep joy in the work you love? If the answer is “None” or “I don’t know,” to any of these questions, I encourage you to apply the wisdom of my mentor… create routines and discover your banana!
