My own awareness of a need for balance came sharply into focus Mid November.
Typical of a woman with ambition (but not ego, a distinction to be explored later) I push hard at work, and I counter balance the demands and long hours of brand management with hard physical training. This may sound counter intuitive – but with a busy head the fastest cure I find is to push yourself so hard you must only focus on your breath. The training is my personal investment into my life, and its progress is not measured by shareholder KPIs nor valued by the daytime demands of an American corporation. In a male dominated role, I will not sacrifice this training, which gives me strength and leaves me more nimble and sharper than my colleagues.
Then one Monday evening in mid November, after a 100-mile cycle sportive at the weekend I arrived home from a 13-hour day and dinner was a bowl of cereal. Tuesday morning I was in hospital having fainted and lacerated my forehead on my bathroom door in the early hours. I now have a scar on my face, along with a Harry Potter nickname as a permanent reminder to prioritize my life and well-being.
It has been a pattern for the past three years, a crash on the bike, a trip on a tree root to knock me out on the woods, all served to slow me down for a time, but only now I admit that to prioritize your health, rest and nutrition is ok, and not a sign of weakness. This piece marks a commitment to document my own quest for balance, or more specifically to stay upright – no falls, faints, or crashes for at least one year? The challenge will be tough, I’ll still maintain a love of relentless pace but I will promise to reorder my priorities, nutrition, and how I allocate my time to slow down every once in a while.
Photo Credit: Neutral Service/John Orbea
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