As someone nearing fifty, I’ve spent over half of my life advising SME owner managers to navigate the ever changing world around them while simultaneously managing the demands of being a Partner in a regional accounting firm in Lincolnshire.
Today, we work in an always on, constantly evolving, and perpetually challenging environment that lets be honest can be stressful. If you are not careful “work” becomes all consuming and well-being, growth and balance, are well, out of balance.
I’ve reached a point in my career where I’m not only focused on being a leader but also on becoming a better, more mindful version of myself. Leadership, I’ve learned, is not just about guiding others, but also about understanding and guiding oneself. It’s about making decisions with clarity, leading with empathy, integrity and creating an environment where both individuals and the business can thrive.
This journey is about more than just improving my leadership skills, it’s about finding a healthier work-life balance, both mentally and physically. It’s about recognising that while my work is a significant part of who I am, it’s not all that I am.
I’ve had some great feedback to some of my reflections. People who have read my thoughts have thanked me for sharing and making them step back and think. Through this website, I invite you to join me on this journey. I’ll be sharing my experiences, insights, and the things I’m adopting. Whether you’re a fellow professional feeling the strain of a demanding career or someone looking to redefine your approach to work and life, I hope my journey resonates with you and inspires you to embark on your own.
Baseline data with Whoop
I wanted to measure my progress so I looked for a wearable health monitor and app that would track key heath metrics. I had previously used an Apple Watch but had found I became obsessed with the real time metrics. I also had to monitor and interpret the trends across multiple metrics myself which I didn’t have the time to do.
I missed wearing a watch too so after hours of research I jumped in and subscribed to Whoop.
Whoop provide a health monitor which connects to your phone. There is no screen and it works in the background collecting information which it then analyses and interprets. It collects data to provide you with three scores:
1. A strain score. How hard have you worked your body today.
2. A recovery score. How well your body has recovered from the previous day.
3. A sleep score. How well you slept.
I wasn’t sure how accurate it was until I got Covid for the first time and received a 1% recovery score! Since then I’ve become confident in the analysis and interpretation. When I’m well recovered (in green) I know I can push it. When I’m not (in red) I know to have a steady day. When my recovery is very low I know I’m probably ill.
With confidence in health tracker and a set of baseline health data I was happy I could track the impact of the changes I made.
if you are interested in following my journey check out the blog and search for articles with the #leadership tag.