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ONE Simple Question to Reduce Stress Today

Last week I was delivering a workshop on Olympic Principles That Drive Influential Leadership.

The session was specifically focused on how we can apply The Hero Mindset to become a hero to ourselves, each other, and the organization in the area of mental health and wellbeing.

During the session, we had many discussions where leaders shared insights about where they may be getting in their own way towards their own wellbeing, and how that affects the rest of their team and the organization.

One comment that really stood out for me was when one leader mentioned:

“I am very analytical and want to know all the details. As a result, I end up doing everything myself. However, when I do hand things over to my team, they are always able to execute. They perform, I reduce my workload, and we all benefit. I just need to let go.”

Bingo.

For years, I never understood what it meant to “Get out of your own way”, but it continues becomes clearer for me all the time.

We get in our own way when we don’t ask for help.

We get in our own way when we try to do everything ourselves.

We get in our own way when we don’t speak how we truly think or feel.

We get in our own way, in so many ways.

So today, I have one simple question for you to help reduce your stress.

In order to get out of your own way, “What do you need to let go of?”.

Perhaps Its Perfection

Do you proofread each email three times, every time?

Do you “never miss a call” and always call everyone back, every time?

Or do you have an idea that’s maybe 90% awesome in your mind, but are unwilling to share because “It’s not perfect”?

Sometimes perfection is how we get in our own way from speeding things up which will create space in your calendar for more important things like self-care and wellbeing.

What can you let go of to alleviate stress and free up space in your calendar today?

What can you let go of to alleviate stress and free up space in your calendar today? Click To Tweet

Perhaps Its Control

Do you want to know everything that is happening at all times?

What tasks can you delegate and let someone else take the lead on?

Does the task you are currently working on have to go the way that you think it does?

Often the desire for control ends up creating more stress than necessary.

It’s been a learning curve for myself at our team building events, letting go of control to help the team and program run smoothy.

I’ve had many moments with my staff in the Sledge Hockey Experience where I needed to let go of directing the dressing room setup, making sure the hockey nets are set up perfect, and be the person to greet people at the front door.

I just can’t do it all myself!

What do you need to let go of to help your team keep moving along?

(NOTE: If you need support with your wellbeing solutions, contact Kevin here!)

Perhaps Its Your Ego

How does your pride get in your way?

Do you always have to be the person that submits completed projects to your boss, or can you let a team member give a final review of your work and have them submit it for you?

You’ll still have your name on the document, but it saves you 30 less minutes in your day to focus on something else, like your health.

Do you always have to have the last word in a conversation?

It might make you feel better for the final say, but it leads to longer conversations and then less time to get done what’s actually important – or like I said, focus on your health.

Take a moment to check in on why you do what you do.

Often, we can get in our own way simply because of how we feel about a situation, when it has no bearing on what matters in the outcome we desire.

Perhaps Its Approval

Are you subconsciously seeking approval from others?

Are you attending every Zoom meeting when you don’t really need to?

Does it make you feel better because you are always on camera when you don’t need to be, yet it exhausts you and stresses you out?

Do you always need your work reviewed by your boss, when you don’t need your work to always be reviewed by your boss?

Approval seeking is a needy tendency that prevents you from moving forward, faster.

If you can let go of approval seeking, again, that will free up space in your calendar for more time to focus on self-care and wellbeing.

Whose approval are you seeking? What does it look like for you to let go of that?

Whose approval are you seeking? What does it look like for you to let go of that? Click To Tweet

Perhaps Its Decisions

Do you truly have to make all the decisions?

What decisions can be delegated to someone else?

Have you shared the workload with your team or are you seeking to maintain control and have final say over all of the decisions?

Take a moment and pause.

Are there any decisions you can let go of and place trust in your team to make for you?

If you let go of some of the steps necessary on a task or assignment you are working on, you can help you and your team move forward faster and get out of your own way.

In Conclusion

I never fully understood what it meant to “get in your own way”, until I learned lessons like those mentioned above.

There are so many ways that we create unnecessary stress in our lives, simply by the decisions we are making based on how we feel about a certain situation.

When we learn to “let go”, we begin to create space in our minds, our lives, and our calendar to move the needle forward.

Both in business, but also in our self-care and wellbeing.

If you are feeling stressed today, ask yourself this one simple question “What do I need to let go of?”, and help improve your wellbeing today.

Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you strengthen your mindset:

5 Easy Attitude Shifts for Resilience

How to be Patient Managing Change

What To Do When Nothing Is Going Right

Whenever you are ready here are the 3 best ways I can help you:

  1. Get a FREE copy of my autobiography (click here)
  2. Looking for a speaker for your next event? (Contact Kevin)
  3. Learn more about The Resilience Toolbox Workshop (click here)

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