Everyday Drills
Whether in a sport, at a job, or in a family, everyone everywhere is part of a team. The Everyday Drills blog is designed to create a moment each morning where we are intentional about becoming better teammates and team leaders. Subscribe for thoughtful ways for you and your team to be challenged each and every day.
Integrity in Belief
Every team should have a set of core beliefs that help drive their goals and ambitions. This is easy at the start of something but the grind found on the path to success is a test of those very beliefs. Beliefs are easy to cheer for and profess but less easy to integrate into a practical way of life. I can sign a statement of assent to a belief but that should never be enough for a team. My integrity is tested when I am faced with the moment that I have to suffer for that belief. I am not talking about a threat on our life or freedom. I am talking about that private moment when I have a choice to do what I say I believe despite the very real inconvenience of that choice. We need to watch what we actually do when inconvenienced and not what we say when it’s convenient.
The Integrity of Effort
Being home at a decent hour is not as meaningful for my family if I come home empty with nothing to offer them. My day doesn’t end when I clock out. It ends when my head hits the pillow after I have given my all to both my family and my work. This may seem like a daunting task but putting on a front that I am an extremely hard worker at work while neglecting responsibilities at home is a severe breach of integrity. The same can be said if I neglect work responsibilities to “spend more time with my family”. I am my best version of myself when I blend my effort to take care of my responsibilities at home and at work.
Blending
I hear a lot about the need to balance work life with family life. I tried and failed miserably for a lot of years. Balancing seemed to mean working hard and giving my all at work before coming home at a decent hour to be with my family. Unfortunately, time balance only caused an imbalance in my effort. Time doesn’t matter as much as effort and being present and at my best when my best is needed. The idea of blending means I blend my effort so that my work life and my family life get a similar version of me.