8 workshops, 16 days (including weekends).
I was full of joy – “inna mi ackee” as I shared in a video on LinkedIn. That’s how Jamaicans express unimaginable joy. I loved being with my client of 15 years again – 2021 being the only year we had missed an annual strategy review. They are simply good people, who treasure me only slightly less than I treasure them. And there was a new client, embarking on their Balanced Scorecard journey, who had invited me to facilitate their process. They too were warm and welcoming.
Then there was the joy of doing live workshops, after 2 years of making the best of ZOOM. Yes, we were masked, but oh! to be able to see and touch (we did) each other, to feel the energy in the room, to dance and celebrate together. Total magic; unbridled joy.
Yet, each morning I awoke more tired than the day before, having been up late the previous night preparing for the next workshop. There was one morning where I really started to worry about my physical state – my body felt heavy, my breathing was laboured, my back and shoulders were aching, and my head had a drill pounding it without ceasing. But I had a workshop to facilitate that afternoon. I pulled out every tool in my energizer bunny box to up my energy level. I drank water all morning (water energises). I did cardio – ran in place, jumping jacks. I made my coffee extra strong and doubled the serving. And I delved deep into my mind to prime for positivity. I turned up at the workshop brimming with joyful energy, and my clients were no wiser.
This is the dark side of joy, of loving your work … it becomes an addiction. More work? YES! How can one ever say “NO” when saying so, means you are saying “NO” to joy? And so I soldiered through, with the joy-high pulling me along, to be followed by the crash of exhaustion.
I have been reflecting on this experience, on the many times prior to the pandemic when I had worked with joy, but without the overwhelming exhaustion, and the numerous clients I have coached around this issue. These 3 lessons may seem obvious, but they are worth repeating:
- Learn to say: “Not now”. In this way, I am saying yes to the joy, and no to the overwhelm. The request from the second client came at short notice. I could have said “I would be happy to serve you but am not available until March, or April”.
- Ask for help early. Relentlessly. I can’t imagine how much worse this situation would have been had I not had the support of a trusted co-facilitator. Delegation and outsourcing are your allies. And culling your endless “to do” list for things that don’t have to be done by you, or that can wait, is invaluable.
- No matter what, start your day taking care of yourself. My ritual of yoga, meditation, journaling, and affirmations, even if shortened due to time constraints, never fails to energize me. Yet I found that it easy to fall into the trap of “I don’t have the time this morning as I have to finish my preparation for work”. A morning ritual IS preparation for working with joy.
I am off on another trip soon which promises to be joyful. I expect to be “inna mi ackee”. When this client contacted me, I did say “not now” despite his plea for urgency. I have asked for help. And I am doing my morning ritual every day.
Loving your work is wonderful. Just be aware that there can be an intoxicating effect that dulls you to the downside, and take action early.
Learn what “inna mi ackee” means to a Jamaican here:
And create an empowering morning ritual using my “Ultimate Guide for Time-Strapped Overwhelmed Leader for Starting Your Day with Joy”
