Balance is not the goal
Russell Dalgleish
Scottish Serial Entrepreneur, Investor and Entrepreneur in Residence
The great focus of our age appears to be to achieve ??????????????
???? A balance between profit and social good.
???? Personal Work / Life Balance.
???? A balance between time in the office and time working from home.
There is no end to podcasts, training courses and YouTube clips urging us to find an equilibrium in our lives which when achieved will deliver happiness and riches.
But what does it mean to be out-of-balance, to be working too hard, to be playing too hard? Won't these also bring us delight?
For me, it is not ?????????????? that should be our goal but instead ????????????????.
When I think of ?????????????? I primarily consider the distribution and management of time and activities to achieve harmony across all.
But for me, ???????????????? requires the focus on the internal emotional and mental state. With the goal here to cultivate a sense of peace and calmness regardless of these external circumstances.
If the goal is ???????????????? how is it achieved?
Well in my experience this is a personal journey unique to each of us.
In my case, it involved a detailed personal exploration of who I am at my core, a rejection of meeting my ego-driven desires and instead the decision to focus on helping others.
A search for truth, and a discovery that we lie to ourselves more than we lie to others!
I also had to accept that my skills only empower me to support those working to deliver their vision through the application of innovation and driven by an entrepreneurial zeal.
These discoveries freed me from the hunt for ?????????????? and allowed me to live a life where the goal is to maximise the time I spend hoping to experience ????????????????. A task I find that can only be achieved through focusing on others' needs.
This has been a journey of a quarter century and one I hope to continue for the rest of my life.
It has involved hard work, acceptance of truths which when discovered hurt and many, many expensive mistakes along the way.
I share this with you here because I believe these are subjects we need to debate. Concerns over mental health I don't think have ever been higher in our society than now and as leaders in the business world, we carry a responsibility for those we lead.
Remember "understanding begins with listening."
Below you will find a couple of articles I have written looking at good physical and mental health and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.
领英推荐
Articles
1. Hints & Tips on how to stay healthy when travelling
If you spend much of your week "on the road" I bet you have developed a range of techniques to ensure you avoid travel stress. Here are some of mine.
2. Happyness starts with gratitude
This reminded me of the importance of stopping and being reminded how lucky I am and to show this gratitude through a smile.
3. How to survive a general election
Should you switch off the rolling news and step back from social media political debates?
4. The power of a nap
My secret is out, this is where the energy comes from :)
What's next
This week I'm splitting my time between Edinburgh and London as I host a visit from two Scottish Business Network Ambassadors Miguel Reynolds Brand?o and Bruce R Tuomala . These two gentlemen have each played a pivotal role in my success and I'd love you to meet them.
They are original thinkers with a unique take on the world and how international business success can be achieved.
We are holding a fireside chat on Wednesday at 4.30 pm followed by drinks. If you are in Edinburgh on Wednesday sign-up here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-ambassadors-tickets-910445616347 ?
What Now
I fully agree! This 'hunt for balance' is often interpreted as a goal to dedicate a proportional yet sufficient amount of time for everything in one's life. Usually, it's the 'fantasy me' life, on a perfect day - and this stresses people sooo much. And then they are even more stressed. So where is the balance then? Great topic, thanks!
REALTOR at Carolina One Real Estate
6 个月As ever Russell your candid thoughts are most illuminating. On a personal note finding “harmony” in my life is way more attainable than the notion of balance. Developing this theme the pursuit of inner joy manifests itself in my external happiness factor which then fuels my success. This messaging is enshrined in having a positive mental attitude, in the pursuit of mastery, culminating in a plan to be in action. Hope these thoughts resonate with the compelling message which you just penned my dear friend. Happy Memorial Day fae across the pond, lest we forget our freedom was won by others who gave the ultimate sacrifice ! Slainte MC aka US SCOT ????????????????????
Empowering, Facilitating and creating ideas | Management and businesses consulting | BDE | Product Development | Wildlife enthusiast | Trekking | Playing cricket
6 个月Serenity or relaxation is important to unlock our natural creativity and problem solving skills, most writers and scientist take a walk to unleash their thinking abilities
Director at Yoda bookkeeping.co.uk
6 个月Great Article Russell, thanks for sharing your tips and advice. Serenity is always my goal for my clients and me.