Tips to PACE your day
A legacy leader’s most powerful button is the PAUSE.
Each day develops a life of its own. Sometimes that momentum doesn’t build in a helpful direction. Often, the drift may be self-inflicted. But you can choose to shift gears.
Finding a sustainable PACE begins with the PAUSE.
This discipline unlocks opportunities (we’ll explore five angles) to reshape and ACE your day!
Angle 1: Rally your PEOPLE.
Every leader influences people. And some (especially those you may supervise) rely on your leadership to succeed. Today, you can choose to PAUSE and engage with their best in mind.
This means focusing on development rather than deliverables. Check in with them as a person before diving into project updates. (Example: “What’s been a win for you lately?”) Offer support and encouragement. Invite feedback into how you might serve them better.
Angle 2: Refocus on your PRIORITIES.
It’s easy to get sidetracked. Another notification pings you. Someone interrupts with their so-called emergency. Before you know it, the day’s almost over, you’re spent, and little on your priority list has been accomplished. It’s demoralizing. Eventually, your team will suffer.
Consider two ways to PAUSE. One involves block scheduling. Sanitize the time: no pings or rings, no false alarms. Identify a best contribution (often an exclusive, strategic one) for your best effort. Even 30 focused minutes matter. The accomplishment will energize you going forward. A shorter pause is to scan & select. List your must-do tasks for the day. Scan them and ask yourself, “What’s the biggest win to go after now?” (it may not be the easiest item). Then buckle down. Again, the energy of achievement will boost your productivity.
Angle 3: Reinvest in your POTENTIAL.
A word of wisdom states, “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.”1 To remain effective, you must care for your leadership ax.
Your ax has a strong blade. Focus on sharpening your strengths. Where are you good…but could be exceptional? It’s possible feedback has revealed cracks in your ax handle. Triage your weaknesses. Improve on those where intervention could make the most difference.
Either way, you’ll need defined goals & action steps. (A coach can help you develop them). It’s worth a pause or two to hash out a plan. Skill in self-development will bring success!
1Ecclesiastes 10:10 (NIV)
Angle 4: Reconnect with PARTNERS.
Do your clients, contractors, or co-laborers only hear from you when you need something? Have you paused to thank a mentor in your life? (See my first blog post for a story on this.) What about that unsung teammate who flies below the radar but adds so much value?
How powerful it is when we reconnect with a selfless agenda: to show appreciation and inquire about their needs & life. It only takes a few minutes to make that call or set up that lunch. Who comes to mind as you read this? Commit to pause and reach out today!
Angle 5: Refresh your PASSION.
What forms the dynamo at your core? What brings you life and wholeness? Habitual pauses to refresh yourself through those areas of deep meaning are key to a life of joy and legacy.
It helps to be clear on your personal mission & values (here’s a resource to identify the latter). Reinforce daily habits that work or make a trial run of a new one. Some common examples: device-free time with family; exercise; prayer or meditation; a daily devotional or podcast; journaling. You may find it’s less about doing than being. Pause from what you do and be refreshed in who you are. To lead others well, we must understand and lead ourselves!