Riding in the Dark
When Quick Decisions Create Exhausting Results
We were out for an unplanned bike ride during the late afternoon, and, since we were feeling fit, we kept going into the early evening. There was one big challenge though … something we couldn’t control … the sunset!!
We were a few miles from the car, and it was pitch black. We were riding with the light of an iPhone in one hand and handlebar in the other, which was probably worse than simply trying to ride through the dark. Let me tell you – riding from the light of a dying iPhone is not relaxing nor is it recommended. What started out as a great idea, turned into an exhausting experience.
My guess is that you have been in a similar situation. The path ahead is slowly growing darker and you’re fighting for light, trying to see where you are going. For example, the start of the project is smooth, but the farther you get into it the more you realize you should have thought through the plan a bit more thoroughly.
I think this is a picture of leadership for many of us. We get into situations because we find ourselves learning on the fly. The entrepreneur motto is something like, we “build the plane while flying”, we “run with scissors”, we “live in controlled chaos”.
If this is confession time, I’ve said all of those things many times. There is an adrenaline rush to figuring things out on the fly, to riding in the dark, and to making things work under pressure. There’s also a cost. I’m reading a book right now called, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”. There’s something healthy about finding a rhythm to living without a constant rush. The cost of riding in the dark is living and working without adequate rest and peace.
We know there are times to “build the plane while flying”, but maybe that’s not wise for the everyday mission of “loving life at work and loving life at home.”
A few weeks ago, I purchased my first bike light and tail light for riding in the dark. It’s amazing how planning ahead and purchasing the right tools can help us enjoy accomplishing our goals.
If you feel like you have been riding in the dark too often during 2024 and want 2025 to be a year with more health and effectiveness, then you need to invest in the right tools. If you continue down the same path you will most likely accomplish the same results. So what will change?
At Insight, we have three open enrollment programs for leaders in 2025 in addition to executive coaching options for your personal and organizational leadership development:
Insight Executive Leadership Academy – 4 facilitated sessions, 4 coaching sessions, Insight 360, SDI 2.0 and more practical tools to prevent you from trying to navigate a fast-paced path in the dark with an iPhone.
Manage as Coach Virtual Cohort – 4 live virtual sessions, and a personalized Leadership Development Plan coaching session to help managers gain the necessary tools to own their role and thrive as a manager.
Distilled – a 2.5-day executive leadership experience in Louisville, KY, to help leaders rest and align what’s most important in their life with the way they lead through life.
Executive Coaching – Invest in personalized coaching to help you lead through 2025 successfully.
