Are your overusing your strongest muscle?

In my work as a Leadership Coach for nurse leaders I see my clients do something that I can really relate to. These clients are extremely, strong and capable people. They know what needs to be done and they know how to do it.

So they use these strengths and take on a lot of responsibility to make sure everything that needs to get done gets done, by them. The more they do the stronger they become the more they take on.

This reminds of going to the gym, the more I lift weights the easier it gets so I pick up heavier weights. Sounds good? Well what I don't do is try a different exercise? I do them same exercises over and over and keep working on the same muscle, leaving some muscles undeveloped and weak. I do this because its easy for me to work on the same muscles, if I try a new exercise it's hard, I don't burn as many calories and the next day I am in pain.

What does this have to do with the nurses and more importantly you?

Well If they, and you, keep doing the same thing over and over, you to are getting stronger in one area and this can lead to you taking on more responsibility just because you can, without stopping to think of the consequences.

If you find you don’t have time to do the things you love. Things like spending time on your health and wellbeing, or spending time with friends and family, or maybe working on your hobby, because you're too busy maybe you're over working your strongest muscle. Maybe it's time for you to work on building some other muscles so that you can live a more balanced life.

Back to the nurse leaders. What they learn to do is help other people take responsibility, they teach them how to do things, so that others can get stronger.

They tell me this feels awkward to begin with, they sometimes feel guilty, they sometimes fear that other people will not get it right and sometimes they just want to get it done so feel like it would be easier to do it themselves.

However after a couple of weeks of perseverance they start to see the results. Other people actually feeling good about being able to solve their own problems. Other people feeling good about being able to make a greater contribution.

This makes the nurse leaders feel good, but what also makes them feel good is they feel less stressed, they have more down time to do the things they love and their relationships improve. Developing strengths in other areas allows them to create a well balanced life.

If this appeals to you here are 5 steps to take.

1. Get very clear on what a balanced life would look like and feel like.
2. Ask yourself in what way are you already living this life?
3. Ask yourself what are the top 3 obstacles you face?
4. Pick one obstacle to work on and identify baby steps you can take to start developing new muscles?
5. Act on the baby steps one step at a time.

If you would like help with creating a well balanced life, schedule a "Let's Get Acquainted" session with me, at no cost, email sarah.bell@bellscoaching.com. Just think what your life could be like?