This week’s focus point…The Three Rs.

The other evening, I was watering our plants out on the front porch. It’s been blistering hot here in the Seattle-area this summer and we had just experienced 7 straight days over 90 degrees. One of the plants we have is a small basil plant. When I started pouring the water in, my eye noticed something seem to jump out. All of a sudden, I noticed that on the roof of our little birdhouse on the table was a tiny frog. “Fred” had escaped the hot sun and had taken refuge in the basil plant. It seems I had disturbed his down-time, however I’m sure he would eventually be happy I had refreshed his new home.

Fred is smart enough to know how to escape the heat. In order to survive, he needs to find a cool and wet spot to rest, rejuvenate, and recharge. What I call “the 3 Rs.”

Are you smart enough to do the same thing? Here’s the deal – I know there are those of you out there that put in tons of hours of work going at the same speed. In fact, for some of you it’s a sort of badge of honor to work long hours daily. While a strong work ethic is a good thing, overworking without getting out of the hot sun once in awhile isn’t. The consequences of working too much include mental fatigue (leading to poor quality), physical fatigue (leading to health issues), increased anxiety, becoming overwhelmed, depression, and a myriad of behavioral challenges.

If you want to truly unleash your own talent and potential, do the best work for your clients and customers, be a better boss or employee, and live more fulfilling life, then take a cue from my friend Fred the frog. Jump out of the heat and into your own basil plant. Get refreshed, rejuvenated and recharge your mind and body. The results will lead you to more success in your career, and a better perspective on life.

“The human race has only one effective weapon, and that is laughter. “