I am working with a passionate and driven CEO of a new business who is gearing up for a capital raising for in the new year. She has a strong values base to her company and is deeply devoted to her ‘calling’. She works long hours her staff fears she may burn out. However her health and well-being has never been better, her company is making a profit and growing as she projected. My role as her executive coach is certainly not to determine her financial targets or disrupt her effective business development strategy. Rather my perspective shall challenge her broader individual and organisational goals and work towards ensuring that her leadership style enables success. The conundrum she faces is that while her drive and passion fuels her, it should not consume her, nor should it inhibit the aspirations and motivation of her employees. This delicate balance will only increase as her company grows and she is acutely aware of small shifts she needs to make in her management style and personal health. Many CEOs small business owners, committed doctors and passionate workers and volunteers share this challenge. This morning I am writing this blog on my phone as I sit at Bondi beach having had my first swim of the season. Diving into the clear refreshing ocean inserted a lovely pause into my busy week and made me reflect on when we can all randomly throw our routine out the window and do something invigorating. For my client a swim in the sea is not practical, she’s Melbourne based anyway. So for her and for the majority of us on a regular basis the principals of the Third space are more accessible. (Thank you to Dr Sarah Cotton and Justine Alter for exposing me to this model) The First Space is the moment after a meeting/ event ends. Use this time to reflect on what you have just accomplished and make a note of what you need to do next The Second Space is the pause, the reset, the clearing the head, there are a multitude of techniques to achieve this pause. Head to my resources page for ideas. The Third Space is the preparation for where you will going next: think about who are you meeting, purpose of the meeting what do you want to achieve, what do you need to know. My colleague Margie Hartley in her weekly blog recommended 45 minute meetings, thus creating regular slots of 15 minutes to insert the techniques described above. So as you look at the photo I took this morning, pause and think about what you are going to do every now and again to shake up your routine. Please as always contact me if you want to discuss executive coaching for yourself or one of your employees, or perhaps you want to come join me down at Bondi for a swim. References: Please contact me if you want references/further information on the ideas presented above.