{A}                                                             {B}

Which picture best describes how you feel about Christmas?

If you chose {B}, you are not alone. Most adults I talk with in-person or on social media feel a bit frantic at this time of year. Dancing around the Christmas tree like Charlie Brown and Snoopy has fallen to the bottom of the to-do lists of shopping, decorating, and planning of human gatherings.

Every year we vow to slow down and cut back – Accept less invitations, buy less, and experience more. It is our true heart’s desire to embrace the magic, light, and community the Christmas season promises. But something happens. Time doesn’t stop. In the end, we sit in the midst of a pile of used wrapping paper, boxes, and bows looking back in wonder at how fast the season when by. In reflection we might say, none of it is bad, maybe just not as memorable as we wanted. {See my mess of reality in the picture below.}

So, for Christmas this year, I want to give you what you have been dreaming of. The gift of time. It is a gift you can activate any day, any place, and any time. As you receive this gift and learn about the art of inaccessibility, remember one important fact. God’s economy is completely different than the world’s economy. God inverts the very systems we hold so tightly too. As you read the rest of today’s blog, contemplate how about you interact with each of these systems. What is busyness in relationship to productivity? Rest in relationship to lazy? Success and failure? Or self-care and selfishness?

THE ART OF INACCESSIBILITY

If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.

~ Anonymous

 

There is no doubt that you are action-oriented.

As an influencer, you are dedicated to the mission and purpose of those around you, your work and community. Influencers are leaders, and leaders get things done. Secretly or not so secretly, we are striving to have it all – a balance of profession, family, friends, purpose, and play. Some may call us workaholics. I call leaders passionate, inspired, and motivated. If we want to continue to be passionate and engaged leaders, we must learn the art of inaccessibility.

HOW ACCESSIBLE ARE YOU?

There is a difference between someone who is approachable, easy to engage in conversation, and open to engaging in the great ideas of others, and a person whose lack of personal boundaries. A person who lacks personal boundaries will eventually become a detriment to themselves, their organization, or their family.

If your calendar is heavy and weighted down in massive projects, meetings, and commitments, you are going to require exponential force to create an acceleration big enough to achieve your goals. What is the likelihood of long-term success? None. You are human. You will grow weary of the effort it takes to push massive amounts of volume at rapid speed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Weariness leads to a list of characteristics and adjectives by which no leader wants to be described. Learning the art of inaccessibility is the key to pivoting your leadership from small to big.

3 Steps to Inaccessibility:

Step 1. Simplify. (Attending to the mind)

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

~ Leonardo da Vinci

When we simplify, we are attending to our minds. Clear minds lead to creativity, vision, health, and productivity. Think about where you are when you get your best ideas. Is it in an environment of chaos, or is it in a quiet space of retreat? Shunryu Suzuki said, “If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.”

Step 2: Replenish-restore-remember (Attending to the soul)

“To keep a lamp burning, we must put oil in it.”

~ Mother Teresa

Leaders can hold on to busyness like a weapon of protection. Without a time to replenish and restore our souls, the drive for perfectionism, position, and approval will mark our leadership persona and hide our true identity.

Step 3: Rest, diet and exercise (Attending to the body)

“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good

stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was

put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen

to true self and give the care it requires, we do

it not only for ourselves, but for the many

others whose lives we touch.”

~ Parker Palmer

Why is the area of rest, diet, and exercise the least attended to by leaders? Twenty pounds of extra weight, an unused membership to the gym, and a bottle of sleeping pills are not uncommon for leaders. Honestly, the lack of self-care has always surprised me. We are intelligent, reasonable people; therefore, living healthy is simply common sense.

There is an explanation for this. When you get to do what you do best, you look forward to it. That in itself produces the boost of endorphins you need to keep you going. When you achieve your goals, the thrill of the finish is euphoric. Taking care of yourself through rest, diet, and exercise is only rewarding once you have established a pattern of healthy behavior. It is not fun, and it is not inspiring when you start. It is simply hard work. That is the reason why most people don’t do it. Most people live in the moment and hope for the best.

My philosophy in rest, diet, and exercise is the same as in any other area of life—small steps make big change. Health cannot be recovered overnight. It starts with you making different choices and breaking old habits. It is as simple as buying non-fat milk instead of 2%. Or replacing one coffee or soda beverage with water. Order a salad or soup instead of the French fries at lunch. If you are not exercising, begin by adding one day, not six.

The famous impressionist artist, Vincent Van Gogh once said: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Learning the art of inaccessibility doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through small daily steps that will create long term change!

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy your gift of time.

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To read the full version of The Art of Inaccessibility, visit www.pivotleader.com or purchase Pivot Leadership: Small Steps…Big Change on Amazon.