The speed of work can do with a little pause for life

On a beautiful Saturday morning recently, just as I was finishing my weekend run alongside the beach, I received a call from a colleague. Not the greatest of the beginnings to the weekend, I thought, expecting to deal with an issue that needs immediate attention. Well, the call lasted about 20 minutes, with me taking an unexpected, yet welcome break after a 5-mile run.

The conversation had nothing to do with the critical client pursuit we’re working on or the next big leadership meeting we’re hosting. She called me to simply inquire about how I was doing after a busy week, and a check on my mother’s health. Those 20 minutes brought ‘life’ into my weekend and a huge dollop of energy for the week ahead. It was a moment that mattered.

How often do you start your day with an act of kindness? In an increasingly virtual world characterized by lesser human interaction, we tend to be driven by numbers, checklists, decisions, updates and so on. Yet the people we work with and interact with every day — like our friends and loved ones at home — also have? diverse emotions, likes, unique challenges and life situations. Beyond the customary ‘how are you?’ a heartfelt conversation and a genuine offer of? help adds ‘life’ to our times and makes work-life more meaningful. And if you actually do something for the other person in need of help – however small it may seem? – it fills the day with a sense of happiness that only an act of kindness can give. I am reminded of a quote by cartoonist and author Scott Adams: "There's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."

While we all know how important emotional well-being is for being happy and successful at work, quite often it is the genuine sense of care for the colleagues and real acts of kindness that go a long way in realizing it. Could we make time for it?