Legacy: “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

“How you do anything is how you do everything.”  Simon Sinek

Marie Gervais, PhD., CEO Shift Management Inc.

If the past year of difficulties has taught us anything, it is that if we want to leave a lasting legacy we must be purposeful about our lives and thoughtful about our choices. During the time of the winter equinox moving towards spring, is an ideal time to think about the beginnings and endings of things. 

This year beginnings and endings are particularly poignant for me because my father is close to the end of his life, dying from Alzheimer’s disease. As he turned 91 on January 30, 2021, I was thinking about how to honour his legacy, and stay connected to his memories. The family needed something tangible to remember his voice, his personality, his sense of humour, and significant moments in his life. a year ago, to create a tangible momentum, I interviewed him over several months to collect memories as transcripts and audio files. The process made me ask, “Do you ever really know someone?” “What will be my legacy at the end of my life?” “How do we hope to be remembered?” 

At the same time I have been listening to podcasts about brain health and personal habits. A session by Annie Stockdale had a great metaphor. Annie compared the rational part of the brain to the CEO, and the emotional side of the brain to the wild child who has not yet learned to be socially appropriate. When we are under a lot of stress, or under the influence of long-term disease such as Alzheimer’s, it is the wild child portion of the brain that takes over. It is as if we were home alone without supervision. Gaining control of my own CEO function of the brain requires making efforts towards creating personal habits: eating brain-healthy foods, drinking adequate amounts of water, and exercising. It also requires becoming aware of my emotions, accepting and channeling them safely, building healthy routines, being of service to others, and finding ways to integrate meditation and prayer into daily life. This is not just important for your immediate wellbeing. It is absolutely essential to combat the effects of social isolation and for staving off Alzheimer’s and dementia. (For a great read on how to avoid brain decline, check out  the book, “The end of Alzheimer’s” by Dale Bredesen.)

Simon Sinek said, “The way you do anything is the way you do everything” which is a constant wake-up call to me. Each small action, habit, and thought is a neon sign pointing to who I am and what kind of life I have created. If being purposeful and creating the life you want to be known for is something you would like to reflect on more deeply, I invite you to consider a coaching session or look into my Stress Busters membership group.

On a related note, I have a small celebration to announce. My coaching services have been listed in Psychology Today!

About the author:

 Marie Gervais, PhD, CEO, Shift Management specializes in helping employers train their supervisors to lead, get their workplace learning online and interactive, coach for performance, and conduct team assessments to figure out who to promote and how. She has a background in integrating and managing the diverse workforce and in creating workplace cultures of inclusion. Marie is currently writing a book called “The Spirit of Work” to understand the deeper processes behind workplace issues and find inroads into creating healthy and vibrant organizations.

Check out her online Supervisory Leadership Certificate course here: https://shiftworkplace.co