Right Now with Kevin Teater
- What I’m Listening to – My Beautiful Love by PW Gopal
- What I’m Reading – A fun book written by a friend that isn’t public yet
- What I’m Watching – Just watched “Life Itself” last night. What a masterpiece!
- What I’m Doing – Recovering from a most excellent week and feeling the blues that sometimes follows emotional highs
Vision.
I am coming to believe that vision is one of the most important aspects of my life. ELGL member Dan Weinheimer wrote about the value of vision for an organization, but its value extends even beyond the workplace. It extends to the very heart of individual people.
When my life was at its most difficult points, it was my vision for who I wanted to be that pulled me onward. When I was slogging through grad school, it was vision that reminded me of the goal. When I adjusted to living on the opposite side of the country from all that I had called home, it was vision that held me steady.
I have a vision board hung on my living room wall. It has a collection of images and quotes that encourage me to center myself upon my vision. When I feel depressed, I look at that board and see what is missing from my life. Is it laughter? Then it’s time to see some friends. Is it exercise and competition? Then it’s time to go to the gym and sign-up for that tennis league. Is it rest? Then I need to take time for myself and slow down.
I know who I want to be, and I know the kind of organization I want to lead. But you know what can sometimes hold me back from those goals? A lack of one word:
“No.”
If you’re anything like me in the professional environment, that one word can be difficult to say sometimes. An inability or unwillingness to say “No.” can stretch me thin, wearing down my capacity to effectively lead my organization and serve my community.
Learning to say “No.” when my capacity is stretched thin is one of the best ways to avoid burnout. It’s essential if I want to continue progressing toward my vision.
If I can say anything to you today, it’s this: prioritize your personal health. Give yourself the space to remember why you do what you do. Ask for help when you need it. Receive help when it’s offered. Let the community around you be your support. And if you don’t have a community of people who truly know you and support you, then you’ve found a key item to include in your personal vision.
Today’s post is by Kevin Teater, the executive director of the Beaverton Downtown Association.