As we near the end of the calendar year, the season of Advent gets underway. It’s a time to “repent,” which actually means to “rethink” what we’re doing, and not necessarily be sorry (even though that’s sometimes the case) for what we’ve done or failed to do – since we may not think about what we’re doing or why we’re doing it.
This is a great time of the year to slow down a bit, since it’s also the “halfway” point of the school year, and, as Matthew Kelly says, confront the “joyless urgency” that plagues our world today.
During this time, be sure to do two things:
- Set some time aside for yourself. The latest brain research says that rest important every night so that the body can recharge. It’s during sleep that the body heals. Rest is also important from work. Being “on” all the time leads to burnout. For Advancement/Development directors, this is truly important. It’s expected that those involved in fostering relationships will be available all the time. Unfortunately, it’s also why the average “life expectancy” of an Advancement/Development director is about 18 MONTHS! You need to take time for yourself to rest and recharge if you want to increase that timespan.
- Speaking of being “on” all the time, there are some employers that believe employees need to be accessible “all the time.” That’s mindset needs to change if employers care about their employee’s well-being. Check out this great article from Evan Roth on the importance of turning off your “mental” apps. Evan mentions 5 ways to shut off these apps so that, just like your mobile device, your energy isn’t drained.
You’ll see from the link that the article is published on LinkedIn. If you’re not a member, consider a basic profile membership. It’s free, and it’s the way to connect with other Advancement professionals, too!
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140826151022-1406926-overcoming-mental-app-overload
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2012-2022