A few weeks ago I spoke to the leaders in our church about refueling over the summer months so that they would be ready to go strong in the fall. Now, about three weeks later, I am practicing what I preached to our leadership community. Here is how I am refueling during the next two months.
Rest! One of the first steps a leader can take in order to refuel his or her tanks is to take a break. Just rest. Even God rested, so a leader is not too smart if they never take time to relax and slow down. If nothing else, the summer is a great time to change the pace of life and do things differently.
Energize! Every leader needs to do things that energizes them. It will be different things for different leaders, so find the things that energize you! Some people are energized by reading, some by traveling, some by nature, some by writing, and the list goes on. Just find out something that makes a deposit in your life rather than a withdrawal, and spend some time doing it.
Friends & Fun! Take some time to do something fun with friends. Nothing refuels a person like having fun and spending time with people you like to be around. This means not having an agenda. This means not being in a meeting. It means hanging out with people you enjoy being with and doing something that you enjoy doing.
Unplug from technology and social media! Your computer, phone, iPad, or television can be addictive. They can actually produce stress rather than relieve it. There are times you don’t need to know whatever one else in the world is doing. Unplugging is good for the soul and a great way to help you recharge emotional tanks.
Eat right and Exercise! Refueling does not mean being lazy and eating whatever you want. Taking care of your body is actually one of the best ways to refuel. Physical activity and a nutritious diet actually increase productivity. Your body is like an automobile. It is made to run, not sit idle. It is also made to be maintained and taken care of.
Learning! Learning always puts something back in your tanks. If you want to refuel as a leader you can’t keep drawing water from the well without ever filling it back up. If you read a book or listen to a message and learn something new it will put something back in your intellectual reserve.
Leadership can be draining and demanding. To be the best leader you can be, you need to take some time regularly to refuel. Your car needs to refuel. Your body needs to refuel. Your life needs to refuel.
Contact us at impactleaders.com to learn more about how to stay healthy and growing as a leader.
