As I was stirring up a roux (which forms the base of my gumbo) for family dinner, it struck me that the “mindfulness” which we hear about these days doesn’t require more books or a trip to the app store, it can be found right in your home. Stick with me on this one, like a gumbo, it takes time to develop!
A lot of my close friends and associates know that I recently took a break from Financial Services Risk Management in order to focus on family and ruminate on my true calling. I appreciate that the opportunity for introspection is a great gift, and it is one that I am grateful for.
However, one thing that this extra time has allowed me, is time to hone my craft in terms of hobbies (both old and new). I am one of those eclectic types in that I have many areas of interest. But a few that I have really delved into this year has been coffee and cooking. If you are interested in learning about coffee (particularly espresso), please let me know, and I’ll connect you with some great resources to get you started as a home barista. These passions run deep for me, and as a techie, I tend to delve into the science and details of my hobby.
It takes time to perfect, or even get mediocre at a craft. No one wakes up one day as a star barista or head chef. We all have to start with a cup of over-extracted (burnt tasting) espresso or inconsistently chopped veggies until we invest time and effort into the craft. Often we get put off by the lack of amazing outcomes at the first attempt, and give up early in the process. Without going through the process, however, you never achieve a “personal best”. Too many times in life, as in cooking, I’ve seen people rush the process and want to climb the ladder too quickly. The result, like a bland gumbo or a weak cup of coffee is a leader who has no substance, who wilts quickly in the face of challenges and is ineffective in leading people.
The other parallel is focus – each of these hobbies requires attention. Anyone who has made an espresso on a manual machine knows the pain of drinking a cup of over-extracted coffee because your workflow was interrupted. Anyone who has made a gumbo knows the pain of working on the roux for 15 minutes and realizing it is burnt and you have to start over. We allow the pace of this life to dictate our own internal tempo, and in so doing, we become overwhelmed. Of course, you have to pay attention to external factors – my kids have to be dropped off at a certain time every morning regardless of my coffee workflow, but it does mean that you should focus on the given task when you are at it. This focus is the essence of “mindfulness”, and I have to come to understand, it is key to mental health.
My peers (and I until recently) work in a high pressure environment, and it is easy to become overwhelmed, to despair because the needle never moves, because it seems like we are digging a hole in quicksand, filled in again as quickly as we dig it out. In times like these, when the news makes you despair, find a hobby that requires your full attention and hone that craft. My father always taught me that success breeds success (His exact words were “Success is addictive”). When you get a perfect espresso extraction in the morning, the world seems conquerable, your craft has meaning. When your craft has meaning (and your friends and family confirm the coffee is good!), your life has meaning, and that peace will overflow into your work.
I’m coming to understand that more than perfect execution, what the workforce needs more of, is people who stay on-mission, who are not easily shaken or distracted by events. That is what good leadership looks like. My ex CEO coined the phrase “The Healthiest Human System”. My take-away is that every organization, small and large, depends on the Human to run the system and not vice versa!
Take a moment today to engage in your craft, really dive into it, and spread that joy into your workplace. I am where I am, thanks to many leaders, who I now consider friends, who spread that “joy of work” into my life. I strive to be that kind of a leader, and I hope you do too! Take a moment to thank those who inspired you in your career and take joy in your work today.