The Power of Full Engagement

I have been reading a great book entitled: "The Power of Full Engagement" by Jim Loeher and Tony Schwartz on my iphone kindle app. A friend of mine Dave Runyon has also read this book and provided this summary. Great stuff on pace, renewal, work habits.


The Power of Full Engagement
Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz

For most of us, the demands of our lives exceed our actual capacity. As a result, we are tempted to make expedient choices that get us through our days and nights but often take a detrimental toll over time. “Most of the people who we work with survive on too little sleep, down fast food on the run, fuel up with coffee, and cool down with alcohol.” (3)

When it comes to our physical bodies, alternating periods of stress and rest are necessary to build our capacity (i.e. it’s unhealthy to do the same workout seven times a week). Jim and Tony have found that the same is true for the other areas of our lives - specifically; the emotional, mental, and spiritual parts of our lives. The key to living a healthy life and to increasing our capacity is to learn the art of embracing stress and following it with intentional times of renewal. In other words, in all areas of life, we must systematically expose ourselves to stress beyond our normal limits followed by adequate recovery.

Our bodies and our minds naturally crave periods of stress and recovery. Often when our lives become too linear, we will turn to artificial means to create waves - i.e. caffeine to raise our energy level and alcohol to disengage in the evening…if you do this then you are simply masking the fact that your life is too linear. (32)

Technology that’s aim is to help us be more productive and connected, has also served to keep us from ever fully disconnecting, and thus can cause us to be less productive. (38) We must learn how to create stopping points in which we shift from achievement to restoration AND we must learn to how to shift our focus back to achievement.

We must shift from thinking that “downtime is wasted time” to “downtime is productive time” (6) We live in a world that celebrates work and activity, ignores renewal and recovery, and fails to recognize that both are necessary for high performance. (37)

“Performance, health, and happiness are grounded in the skillful management of energy.” Full engagement implies a fundamental shift in the way we live our lives. The results of “full engagement” are that one feels eager to get to work in the morning, equally happy to return home in the evening and capable of setting clear boundaries between the two. (5)

Great leaders are stewards of both their personal and organizational energy. (17)

Stress is not the enemy, instead, it is the key to growth. Any form of stress that prompts discomfort has the potential to expand our capacity…so long as it is followed by adequate recovery. (13)

The consequence of living our lives at warp speed is that we rarely take the time to reflect on what we value most deeply or to keep those priorities front and center. (15)
Transformation occurs when we close the gap between who we are…and who we want to be.

Spiritual energy provides the force for action in all dimensions of our lives. It is what fuels passion, perseverance, and commitment. (127)

Character is simply the courage and conviction to live by our deepest values. (127) People who are fully engaged make a commitment to live according to their deepest values.

So as long as we skim across the surface at life at high speeds, it’s impossible to dig down more deeply. It is vital to take time to quietly connect with and regularly revisit what matters most. Clarifying personal purpose and values takes time – quiet, uninterrupted time.

If the truth is to set us free, facing it cannot be a onetime event. Rather, it must become a practice. (163)

The challenge is not just to acknowledge your weaknesses, but also to face the truth about the short and long term consequences of your weaknesses. (152)

The power of positive rituals is that they serve as anchors grounding us to what we value. (167)
For rituals to last, it is important to list the time and the place that they are going to happen. (175)
Rituals are a tool which helps us translate our values and priorities into action. (181) i.e. eating habits, workout schedule, intentional times of rest and renewal.

The practice of “priming” is key to breaking negative habits. (i.e.: When I am tempted to have a drink, I will ________ instead). (177)

One of our clients made significant strides when he began the ritual of daily mediating on the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

It’s best to focus on one significant change at a time. (178)

Accountability is a means of regularly facing the truth about the gap between your intentions and your actual behavior. (180)

Action Steps – Physical
- Set realistic physical goals for working out. Ideally - 2 Cardio and 2 strength building workouts a week. Start slow and build incrementally.
- Diet – learn to stop eating when I am satisfied, not when I am full. Pack the right snacks, carry them and eat them at the right times.
- Learn a healthy routine for winding down and for sleep patterns. One of the primary characteristics of efficient people is that they go to bed early and wake up early.

The Problem of Using Anger

“for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:20

A few months ago, I joined millions in watching the induction of one of my childhood heroes into the National Basketball Hall of Fame. Ever since I was a little boy I loved watching Michael Jordan play the game. His rare mix of athletic ability and competitive drive made him the best player of his time, maybe the best player of all time.

But as I watched him accept the invitation into the hall of fame, I noticed something about Michael I had never seen before. It was one the greatest moments of his career, but as he accepted the invitation into the hall of fame, he seemed angry. Throughout his speech, he replayed different moments of his career and repeatedly chose to “call out” and make reference to different people in the audience that he had dominated on the court. At one time in his speech, he even addressed an old high school teammate by pointing out that he surpassed him.

In many ways that “competitive spirit “is what made Michael Jordan the best basketball player in the world. I have often read of how Michael hated to lose. The way he loathed losing reportedly went beyond the game he loved even into arenas of ping-pong and cards.

As I continued to watch and listen, it seemed that the competitive spirit that I so greatly admired was indeed a form of anger. It was that anger that kept him alone.

As I reflected on all of this, I was reminded of how many times I have used anger to fuel me. Like my childhood Idol, there have been many times when I have used anger as the fuel for my competitive juices to give me the energy to accomplish a certain task in life.

As I watched Michael stand alone to accept his prestigious award, I was reminded of this:

“If you allow anger be your motivation, you may indeed win, but in the end you may alienate all others and celebrate your victory alone.”