The Journey of Self Leadership – Part 1

As leaders, we come across situations every day where we get the chance to influence others and affect their lives.  But many times we lose sight of our need for self leadership.

 

As leaders, we get the chance to influence others and affect their lives. Click To Tweet

So what can we do to recalibrate? How can we take our life compass in our hand and make a decision? How could we set ourselves up to make wise choices in life and in leadership? What we are talking about here is self leadership.

 So what do we do about it?

To best stay in balance (or to get back in balance) I try to focus on several main areas that are measureable–kind of my personal dashboard.  Just like driving in my truck allows me the chance to keep an eye on its “vitals” on the dashboard, I also need to be aware of the vitals in my own body.

Physical Health.

Nutrition- Have you ever had a craving for something and you can tell that it is your body crying out for something that is lacking?  I am not talking about the late night bowl of ice cream–that is usually just comfort food (trust me, I have a lot of field experience in this).  But those days when you feel like you need to drink more water, or even have an internal urging to eat some fruit or vegetables?  Your body has a keen way of knowing if you are giving it the right fuel through your eating, as well as if you are in a dehydrated state and need more water.

Exercise– Your body also cries out to have regular exercise–whether it is the cardio/weight variety in the gym, riding a bike or running a trail, or even just getting out to walk around the block.  And of course, don’t overlook the necessity of sleep.  Our minds work more effectively, think more clearly, and overall our whole body is stronger and recovers more quickly when we give it enough sleep.

So the first “reading” on the dashboard includes diet, exercise and sleep.  Be careful when you see the light blinking on this one–you might just end up on the side of the road if you ignore it.

Be sure to read the next blog as we dig into the second of the 4 vitals needed for self leadership.

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Matt Vanderbilt is a Michigan-native who has been serving as a pastor for over 15 years in North Carolina. He is preparing to launch a new church plant in early 2015 and also coaches pastors and other ministry leaders. | @mattvanderbilt | Website