Colin Warren: the blog

The end of the year is coming up quickly and I’m feeling tired. It’s been a busy year and I hope to spend some time reflecting on what’s transpired and what’s been achieved during 2009 (but that’s for an/other post/s).

The ‘tired’ I feel is a compilation of a number of things. There is some physical tiredness (due to late nights) but mostly it’s other types. I’m not sure if all of these are legitimately different, but let me give it a go…

There’s something about mental tiredness – I need some intellectual stimulation. I’ve had plenty of that recently at conference and in discussion with colleagues, but I feel I need a project that will involve some sustained cognitive load. Some more research next year maybe? But first I need to find a question that I want to find the answer too. Anyway, the idea is that I do some reading, thinking, & writing with purpose…

Then there’s a type of emotional tiredness – where I don’t have much more energy to feel empathetic. So, I need a break from caring (too much) about other people and other things. Life brings all sorts of challenges into our spheres of work and home life. I’ve been very busy with a leadership role and find that others can be needy and require support and encouragement. My bucket may be nearly empty, so I need to stop emptying it and find some resources to fill it with…

And what about psychological tiredness – when you don’t feel capable and have some self-doubt. Being up front and getting knocked down of challenged is tough on the pysche. While I feel I’ve been able to make a contribution as leader, I’d appreciate some respite and a time to allow my confidence to recover. Time for some R & R.

Could I also suggest a spiritual tiredness – where your soul needs some rest, renewal & replenishment. How to lift you spirits, how to feed your soul? Attention from others can help and feeding yourself with appropriate meditation, reading, and listening. A faith can also support your spiritual being, so take time to dwell on that, and seek your strength in that higher power… (King David wrote some good stuff in the Psalms).

All these may be closely related and I’m sure they are all linked in some way to each other and we need to make sure look after ourselves. So, this brings me to the point of my levels of fitness, how am I exercising the appropriate parts of my being to ensure I can cope with the stresses and demands of life? What things do I need to do to ensure that my whole being is fit and ready to deal with each day?

So, over the next couple of months I’ll be paying attention to my tiredness and may just write more about how that’s working out. Are you aware of your needs? Have a think about the renewal and replenishment you might need.

Did you know:

That Shaun Tan has a new book out, tales from outer suburbia, and I cant think of a reason why you wouldn’t consider checking it out. In this book he reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight…

That single malt scotch whiskey (particularly the Islay versions) is worth a shot (or two!)  

That you should always be ready to try something new. Joanna’s blog enlightened me to the existence to of a band called Portishead. I saw an album of theirs (Dummy) for ten bucks at JB and tried it out (made some connections for me to the sound track of Ghost Dog) and then thought a investment in their new album (Third) might be worth it… Wendy will be getting it for her birthday on Friday!

That the Rolling Stones have a lot to answer for. I’m currently listening to, Can’t Your Hear Me Knocking from Sticky Fingers (quite loudly) and I can’t help but move my body. How long have these guys been doing this rock & roll stuff? Thank you chaps…

…and then there’s porridge. Have been getting back into the quick cook oats with a generous helping of brown sugar (the soft stuff) sprinkled over the top for breakfast. Can’t beat it on a cold foggy morning.

Is there anything you think I need to know?

sometimes you just need to do it. it’s been a while and I’ve been tired and had enough distractions to not want to sit and write something for this blog. nearly happened again tonight but I’m committing myself to typing a few words. it’s an effort, but I know I’ll feel better for it and I may even write something worth reading. commit is a good word when you think about. the Merriam-Webster’s got a good definition that explains it to mean entrust, perpetrate and obligate, while the Wikipedia entry refers to commitment and duty or pledging. all OK by me, that’s the point of sometimes having to do it when maybe you don’t really feel like it.

what a week. work’s been relentless and a few evening gigs means I’m in need of some r&r. some people can pack up and go camping to refresh themselves and I’d highly recommend it. gives you good grounding in lots of ways. anyway, we’re at home this weekend and will check out the Pako Festa tomorrow, read the papers, have a coffee or two and maybe catch a movie in the evening.

I tried to catch a movie tonight but the .mpg I had (of a bittorrent download) wasn’t the complete film! like, right into the guts of the story and things in balance it just stopped – dang. very disappointing. I suppose I can always hire it from the video store and do a fast forward to where I got up to, and savor the ending some other time. disappointments can be a good thing to experience and life’s full of them –  they keep your expectation at an appropriate level. not that I get devastated when things don’t pan out how they might have, but sometimes (now and then is good enough – wouldn’t want to get spoilt or anything) it’s nice to have it all your own way.

i’ve enjoyed the drop of rain tonight – just enough to make some noise on the roof. nice…and I feel better now

Went for a drive late this afternoon and thought the round trip of 60kms to Point Lonsdale might be nice – you know, the cool evening sea breeze after a stinker of a day. Parked below the life saving club and walked back towards the lighthouse. A few surfers catching the last few rides of the day out in the emerald green water and a couple of dogs on the beach keeping watch over their towels. The sky was grey with cumulus clouds looking like they could get together and make a storm and pink rays of sunlight breaking through to highlight some of the sea on the horizon in the east.

There were some chunks of wood up on the high water line – bits of flotsam washed of ship decks no doubt. Also saw a lot of dead Shearwaters (mutton birds) washed up too – dozens of them. Wonder if they just fall out of the sky being exhausted after the long migration, or is there a more sinister reason for so many of them on the beach along with the cuttlefish and seaweed?

The tide was up so couldn’t walk round the point at the lighthouse, so walked back again collecting a swarm of flies on our backs. The sound of the crashing surf was constant and the sand was cool underfoot. Could have gone for a swim even!

you have to love it! the weather’s getting warmer and after the car’s been in the sun for a few hours, it can get quite toasty (and even roasty) in them. Like it’s that hot you don’t even think about taking a swig from the water bottle that’s been sitting in the console slowly getting to boiling point. So, whack on the airco and after a bit things tend to get bearable. For the first 5 minutes the dial is on eleven and you can’t have a conversation because of the noise of the blast trying to rip the little thingy flaps off the air vents. Then you can turn it down to three and enjoy the cooler climate.

It’s after then, that get’s to me. Unless you’ve got a newer (or flasher) car with climate control – it’s really hard to get the temperature ‘just right’ (you know, how Goldilocks would want it)! It’s either too cold or it gets too warm again. So here you are tootling down the highway switching the airco off an on, and wishing you had real climate control. But, it is nice not have to wind the windows down like in the old days.

…but sometimes it’s just fun to do that, and stick your bare arm out on the sill and feel the wind barking at the window as you slowly dehydrate, dreaming of icecream at the beach.

We now have a new government and Prime Minister (so, let’s all have a holiday – like; a change is as a good as a …). It all seems to going well with some jostling as positions re-stated and a new cabinet is presented. The oppo now have their team (oh dear) and it’ll be business as usual before too long. Hopefully it won’t be more of the same and that the ‘new leadership’ is able to represent the people and work to ensure we continue living in a great country. Keeping promises and doing good for all can be a difficult task and I wish them all the best. The proof won’t just be in the pudding, but also in the eating.

I was wondering how much politicians actually think about serving the people. Robert Greenleaf wrote about servant leadership and I appreciate this idea in contrast to leader as all powerful. Dee Hock also wrote about leadership and suggests spending most of the time managing yourself first. I also recall Benjamin Zander & Rosamund Stone Zanders’ book The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life where they suggest asking yourself the question (in all situations); What contribution can I make? It’s a great outlook on life supporting the development of creativity, enabling us feel that we can make a difference.