500 Words a Week - Sustainability & Harmony

Sustainability & Harmony

Two words I believe we should acknowledge when thinking of our careers, lives, where we are going or what we are seeking. Is what you are doing now sustainable? Does your work life compliment your personal life, and does your personal life compliment your work life? Are you sacrificing one for the other?

I began re-reading Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules for Life”, and one of these rules lends itself perfectly to the two words described above.

Rule 2: “Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.”

I feel this particularly rings true for many coaches who put their athletes on a pedestal and will do anything for them, yet won’t allow themselves the same affordances. They provide the utmost care and planning around their athletes, yet won’t give themselves a second thought.

This also goes the opposite way. We expect our athletes to respect themselves and be disciplined with their approach to their training and life to hopefully enable them to make the most of the opportunities available to them and have a sustainable career. Do we place this same emphasis on respecting ourselves and being disciplined than we do for our athletes? Are we as disciplined on ourselves to ensure our sleep, nutrition, exercise and general health is in a good place as much as we are with our athletes?

We may believe that at times we must sacrifice ourselves for the athletes we work with or the organization we work for, however:

“To sacrifice ourselves to God (to the highest good, if you like) does not mean to suffer silently and willingly when some person or organization demands more from us, consistently, than is offered in return. That means we are supporting tyranny, and allowing ourselves to be treated like slaves.” - Jordan Peterson

Are you willingly suffering silently?

Voice your concerns.

“You have to articulate your own principles, so that you can defend yourself against others’ taking inappropriate advantage of you, and so that you are secure and safe while you work and play.” - Jordan Peterson

Understand your line which you won’t be pushed across or your principles which you will not break.

“Perhaps happiness is always to be found in the journey uphill, and not in the fleeting sense of satisfaction awaiting at the next peak.” - Jordan Peterson

We know that everything can’t be sustainable and harmonious all the time, but we can take solace in knowing we are still on the journey. After all it is on the journey where we might find ourselves happiest.

“A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love – these things cannot be bought; they must be earned.” – Naval

These things can’t be earned through more hours at work.