Tag Archives: balance

TNF #126: Balance

Welcome Professionals…

…I fall into this trap regularly. How about you?

When workload increases I allocate more time to get it all done. Like during the beginning of this year, when some new important projects all started at the same time. I pushed leisure time aside and used every minute to put it into work.

I should have known better. Creativity drops first, then work satisfaction and with that also efficiency takes a dip. When all fun and leisure is skipped in order to fit in more work, it takes its toll. In my case, I tense up continually over time.

Of course, some peak hours will be the right thing to do from time to time. But in the longer term, there must be better solutions than that. Re-scheduling, re-framing the work, looking for more effective ways, and finally also saying no.

Some extra-curricular activity is essential to keep me in balance. That is why tonight I will pick up my guitar and play.

Malte

TNF #032: Easy like Sunday morning

Welcome Professionals…

…our job as top management consultants is to solve problems for our clients. We do that usually by applying rigorous analytics. However, sometimes I get stuck on a problem. I am ruminating about a certain task and actually turning in circles. With a bit of distance, I can see that I am out of balance.

What helps then is when I go home and pick up my guitar. I play around and sing along which is bringing me back to balance. My interpretation is that I am sometimes getting a bit too left brained, focusing almost all my brain power on analytics. Playing guitar and singing is activating the right side of the brain. It stimulates the creativity.

Balance: Easy like Sunday morning

And yes, it works. A few moments later, I usually find a creative solution to the analytical problem I was thinking of before.

What are your ways of getting into analytical/creative balance? I see more and more people around me drawing, for instance while they are sitting in a plane. What are your Thursday Night Flight activies?

Anyways, next thing in our office kitchen I found myself singing: easy like Sunday morning…

Malte

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