Self-Care Is Critical to the CEO Mindset
As I set out on this journey of sharing insights around each of my seven principles of the CEO mindset, I knew Take Care of Yourself would fit well near the end of the year, a time when many get introspective and take measure of their progress in life. And while the holiday season does feel like a great time to remind everyone of the importance of self-care, I also want to reinforce that focusing on physical and mental well-being is critical year-round.?
You simply can't be as effective at unlocking potential in yourself or in others if you’re struggling to keep your own head above water. There’s nothing selfish about setting aside time in your schedule to ensure you’re able to bring the best version of yourself to your work—while also avoiding burnout and distractions.
When it comes to improving your sense of fulfillment, your ability to solve difficult problems, your judgment to navigate constraints and even your overall satisfaction in life, a solid self-care regimen can be incredibly impactful.?
Now, let’s jump in and explore what it means to Take Care of Yourself, and why it's such a key factor in your long-term success, whether you’re just getting started in your career or you’re already moving up through the ranks.
Take Care of Yourself
Many of us prioritize taking care of everyone and everything around us, both professionally and personally, while putting ourselves and our own needs last. However, physical and mental health is vital to being successful.?
Let’s take Formula One racing as an example. F1 racing is intense, and each team has hundreds of employees with various responsibilities that are crucial to a successful race. Each competitor has a Team Principal, who is the primary decision-maker and the one held accountable for the overall success of the team.
Before races, the Team Principal must manage the team and ensure everything about the car is optimized and ready to perform at the highest level. The Team Principal makes the call on when the driver takes a pit stop to change the tires, and they’re heavily relied on by the whole team to make the best judgment at every turn.?
So let’s say there’s a Team Principal who’s running around and trying to handle everything alone leading up to race day, while hardly sleeping at night. Then, there’s another Team Principal who hires good people, trusts them to do their jobs and is getting the rest needed to have a clear mind and provide the best guidance on race day. Which leader would you rather drive for?
Taking time to care for yourself will pay massive dividends in the long run—both for yourself and those around you. If you adopt a CEO mindset, you will understand that to bring your best work forward, you must take care of yourself. When you do, it also means that when the bumps in the road come, you’ll be in the right mindset to take them on.
Putting Self-Care into Practice
So how can you develop an effective self-care plan and take advantage of all the benefits this principle has in store??
For me, I’ve described some of the habits I’ve developed over the years to ensure I’m feeling my best day in and day out. As I discuss in this past blog, I prioritize regular exercise, eating a nutritious diet, getting plenty of sleep, spending time alone and leveraging moments for deep introspection. I’ve also shared my thoughts on how to break free from the infinite scroll, something we can all become trapped by in our technology-driven world.
Of course, the self-care routine that works best for you might look completely different than mine. I just hope you internalize how important it is to build healthy habits that can help to put you on the path of continuous improvement.
If you aren’t currently prioritizing this step or if you need to make some adjustments to your current routines, now is the perfect time to start. Don’t put it off to another week, another month or another year. Talk to your colleagues about your self-care goals so they can walk alongside you in your journey—and hopefully join you!?
As I’ve mentioned about all of the principles to Be Your Own CEO, fully applying them may take time. I can tell you firsthand that it’s worth the effort and if you stay focused, you’ll be amazed at where it takes you.
How are you working to Take Care of Yourself? I’d love to hear about how you plan to put this concept into practice. It could even be your New Year’s resolution!