Literary Insights

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The author received an alarming call from her mother that her grandfather was gravely ill and hospitalized. She was told to hurry and book a flight to see him before he passed away.
In shock, the author hastily booked a flight with her father to rush to her grandfather’s bedside. Her memories of this time are disjointed as she operated in crisis mode.
The next clear memory is standing beside her parents in her grandfather’s hospital room. He was hooked up to machines and his physical pulse was visible on the heart rate monitor.
Seeing her grandfather so fragile and near death was profoundly impactful. The author realized the precarious nature of life and health.
She reflects on appreciating and valuing each day, as we never know when our time or a loved one’s time may be up. Like her grandfather’s on the monitor, our physical pulse is a fleeting gift.

In summary, the impending loss of her grandfather was a jolting reminder of human mortality and the importance of cherishing each day, as life can change instantly. Witnessing his physical pulse on the hospital monitors was a visceral representation of the fragility of life.

The author’s brother suffered a significant heart issue and was hospitalized critically. This turned the author’s world upside down.
The author tried to simultaneously continue working on her dissertation and help coordinate her brother’s care while her parents worked to pay medical bills.
Initially she could keep up by working harder and more intelligent, but eventually she started feeling overwhelmed and burned out.
She realized that just working harder and smarter is not sustainable - you also need to nurture your “personal pulse” by regularly engaging in practices that build resilience.
She learned that you can’t neglect your well-being if you want to be successful long-term.
After recovering from burnout, the author went on to have a successful career in psychology and coaching, helping many leaders achieve sustainable success. She credits this to consistently tending to her pulse.
The key takeaway is that in today’s always-on world, merely working harder and smarter is not enough - you need dedicated practices to keep your pulse steady for long-term success and well-being.
The author is a psychologist who has noticed an alarming trend of high-achieving workers struggling with busyness, exhaustion, burnout, and stress.
Changes like hyperconnectivity and globalization have created an “always on” culture, but people are still clinging to old-fashioned ideas of working harder and hustling more to succeed.
This leads to unsustainable effort and an epidemic of work-related stress and burnout, as statistics show most people report being stressed and burned out.
Excessive stress is estimated to cause 120,000 deaths annually and cost the U.S. economy up to $300 billion annually.
People demand more from work and want a greater focus on wellbeing. Work is personal and we spend most of our lives working.
The key is having a “steady personal pulse” by cultivating enduring human capabilities like behaving, thinking, relating to others, and managing emotions.
This “inside out” approach driven by personal resilience practices leads to being engaged and energized versus burned out from constant outside stressors.
The modern workplace is constantly evolving, yet developing core personal capabilities can provide stability amidst change. These practices act as a “seatbelt” to protect against burnout.
Four myths about burnout need to be addressed: it’s not due to lack of toughness but rather a mismatch between job demands and human capacities; it’s gradual and insidious rather than an on/off switch; it has severe consequences for health; relationships, and happiness; and it’s not just an individual problem but also related to the workplace environment.
Burnout has three main components: exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of inefficacy. People experience different burnout profiles.
The author wrote this book to provide practical, science-based strategies to fuel success and vitality; translate academic research into accessible tactics for developing steady personal pulse practices; acknowledge burnout is an individual, team, and organizational issue; and offer a comprehensive playbook for organizations seeking to address burnout.
Alex Honnold’s famous free solo climb of El Capitan took much longer than just the 3 hours and 56 minutes he was on the wall. It required over a year of intense physical and mental preparation.
By examining Honnold’s process, we can learn about sustaining success and avoiding burnout as we achieve big goals. He pushed his comfort zone gradually through repeated practice and persistence despite failures.
We often think superstars like Honnold are just gifted “mavericks”, but they achieve greatness through minor, incremental improvements over time.
To apply this to our development, we should focus on steady progress rather than a drastic overnight change. Pushing ourselves too far too fast leads to burnout.
The key is to pace ourselves, make gradual improvements, and chip away at big goals bit by bit. This builds lasting success and avoids exhaustion.

The main points are that Honnold achieved the “impossible” through incremental growth over time, and we can use a similar steady, paced approach to accomplish our big goals without burnout.

Society loves the idea of natural-born maverick talents who achieve extraordinary things, but this is often different from the reality behind outstanding accomplishments.
Many highly successful people like J.K. Rowling, Beyoncé, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, and Alex Honnold achieved their success through diligent, methodical work over a long period, not overnight success.
Deliberate practice involves systematically stretching your abilities beyond your current skill level, reflecting on your performance, and making incremental improvements over time. This accelerates learning compared to just repeating what you already know.
Taking significant risks to achieve goals quickly can backfire. Pace for performance involves breaking down big plans into small, progressive steps that gradually build your skills and confidence.
Successful people often use this pace for performance approach of setting small, doable goals that incrementally stretch their abilities. This allows them to accomplish extraordinary things through consistent, step-by-step improvement over time.
The key is having patience and persistence to make small gains, rather than expecting overnight transformational change. Sustainable success comes from pace for performance.
The “wheel of weariness” refers to the cycle of burnout that happens when people try to accomplish big goals too quickly through massive, rushed attempts. This leads to discouragement and stagnation.
People buy into the “myth of the maverick” - the belief that outstanding achievements require giant, risky leaps of faith. But this often backfires.
Mindless risk-taking slows progress. Instead, incremental growth through small, deliberate steps is more effective. This “pace for performance” strengthens one’s pulse over time.
Rushing to develop skills without pace for performance lowers self-efficacy over time, reducing belief in one’s abilities. This makes it harder to cope with job stressors and leads to burnout.
The key is to set realistic, well-defined goals and make small, mindful attempts at growth. Celebrate small wins, reflect, and then stretch goals gradually. This builds true, lasting advancement.
The “wheel of weariness” refers to the cycle of frustration, discouragement, and fatigue that can occur when trying to learn a new skill. Pushing too hard leads to exhaustion and erodes self-efficacy.
Lowered self-efficacy is associated with higher perceived burnout. Research shows an inverse correlation between self-efficacy and burnout.
To avoid the wheel of weariness, the author recommends the “three P’s of pace for performance”:

Plan - Set realistic stretch goals just outside your comfort zone. This provides the right amount of challenge.
Practice - Treat practice as a series of learning experiments rather than judging success/failure. Focus on gaining knowledge through intentional practice.
Ponder - Reflect on progress and make adjustments. See setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than failures.

Following this approach creates sustainable progress without the frustration and exhaustion of the wheel of weariness. It builds self-efficacy and enables long-term development.
Practice should be approached with a “learning mindset” rather than a “pass/fail” mindset. The goal is to gather knowledge and insights, whether you fully succeed or not.
Focus intensely during practice and limit distractions. Give your full attention to the task at hand.
Get feedback and closely monitor yourself during practice. Reflect on what’s working, what could be improved, and other ways to approach things.
Keep a log of learnings and progress. Reflecting on small achievements boosts motivation.
Organize, analyze, and consolidate critical learnings, then use those insights to iterate and modify your approach for the next practice cycle.
Remember to celebrate small wins along the way rather than focusing only on the end goal.
Using the 3 P’s of “plan, practice, ponder” together reduces risk and sets you up for steady progress over time rather than haphazard attempts. Plan small stretch goals, practice them intensely, then ponder the learnings to plan the next step.

The key is consistently expanding your comfort zone through small, focused efforts, reflecting on what worked and what didn’t, then iterating based on insights gained. This builds expertise progressively while minimizing frustration.

Healthcare providers often experience high levels of burnout due to the emotional demands of their work. Studies show 30-60% of doctors experience burnout.
The competing demands on a healthcare provider’s attention during a shift (patient interactions, charting, paperwork etc.) are mentally exhausting. This harms their well-being and patient care.
Mindfulness training can help providers become more focused, attentive, and present with patients. It enables them to detach psychologically and not ruminate on difficulties.
Meditation allows providers to recognize unproductive thought patterns like self-criticism. They can then consciously replace these with more constructive thoughts.
By being more self-aware, healthcare workers can monitor their pulse and take steps to preserve their vitality. This prevents burnout and improves their ability to provide compassionate care.
Organizations should implement mindfulness programs to support provider wellbeing. This improves patient outcomes, reduces errors, and addresses the high physician suicide rate.

In summary, mindfulness helps healthcare providers gain mental clarity, be more present with patients, reduce burnout, and sustain their pulse over the long term. Organizations must support provider wellness.

Dr. Chen discovered studies showing the benefits of mindfulness for healthcare providers in reducing stress and promoting mindfulness with patients. Research confirms mindfulness helps reduce burnout, increase wellbeing, and improve patient-centered care in clinicians.
Mindfulness practices can benefit anyone working in stressful, volatile environments by helping maintain focus and steady personal rhythms.
The myth of natural mental toughness underestimates the value of intentionally training the mind through mindfulness and thought examination. Mental strength requires ongoing practice.
Regular mental hygiene is as important as regular dental and physical hygiene for optimal health and performance. Unmanaged stress can trigger unhelpful neural pathways over time.
Tidying up mental clutter by increasing awareness of thoughts creates calm and control, just as tidying physical spaces does. Understanding enables intentional responses versus reflexive reactions.
Seeing thoughts accurately, without distortion from biases, brings certainty and peace of mind. The goal is conscious, balanced thinking, not mind emptying.
When we are not fully present and aware of our thoughts, our minds can easily wander and create untidy narratives that distort reality. This is especially common in times of uncertainty and ambiguity, which are inherently stressful.
Studies show that mind-wandering is associated with negative moods and poor health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, fatigue, and sleep issues. Always-on work cultures make untidy thinking more likely.
Under stress, our untrained minds go through cycles of concern, criticism, and feeling consumed/obsessed. We believe our negative thoughts without checking if they are accurate.
This downward spiral of untidy thinking leads to more significant stress, discouragement, and overwhelm. The myth of mental toughness encourages powering through negative thoughts rather than tidying them.
The author shares examples of clients like Rebecca and Li, whose untidy thinking spirals under stress lead to sleeplessness, lack of focus, etc. Tidying our thinking by recognizing distortions is critical.

The main point is that unaware, wandering minds can create distorted narratives that lead to overwhelm. We need tools to tidy our thinking, become aware of distortions, and avoid downward spirals.

Our untidy thinking patterns like self-criticism, rumination, and catastrophizing can prevent us from being present, focused, and straightforward. This signals the need to “tidy up” our headspace.
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) teaches us to identify inaccurate thoughts and respond more effectively. The book Feeling Great provides an overview of this approach.
We can challenge the myth of mental toughness and tidy up our thinking through the “three C’s”:

Curiosity - Replace concern with inquisitiveness by asking questions to examine your thoughts. This reduces stress, builds tolerance for uncertainty, and helps determine if worries are valid.
Compassion - Replace criticism with care for yourself. Self-criticism is concern’s best friend and can be dangerous when stressed. Self-compassion is crucial.
Calibration - Verify your thoughts match reality. Look for evidence and get feedback from others. This builds self-awareness and clarifies your inner voice.

Tidy thinking leads to clarity, empowerment, stress resilience, creativity, and connection. It’s a critical skill for thriving in uncertainty.
Self-criticism is often seen as a way to motivate ourselves, but research shows it undermines confidence and motivation due to fear of failure.
Self-compassion, treating ourselves with kindness like we would a friend, is linked to greater resilience, motivation, well-being, and ability to sustain success.
To practice self-compassion, notice self-critical thoughts, and consciously respond as you would to a friend in need - with care, understanding, and encouragement.
The “three C’s” can counteract downward spiral thinking: Curiosity to investigate thoughts, Compassion to address them kindly, and Calibration to determine a more balanced response and way forward.
Moving from self-criticism to self-compassion is a shift from being consumed by thoughts to responding calmly. It reminds us we are human, counters perfectionism, and allows us to acknowledge struggle while choosing a constructive response.
Practicing tidy thinking and self-compassion gives us agency in responding to challenges. It’s a skill that takes practice but can steady our pulse.

Here are some tips for regularly practicing tidy thinking:

Set reminders or alarms on your phone or computer to prompt you to do a quick “headspace check-in” throughout the day. Even 5 minutes of tidy thinking several times daily can make a difference.
Identify triggers or activities where untidy thinking tends to arise for you. For example, during meetings, while commuting, before bed, etc. Set a reminder to check in with your thoughts during these times.
Stack your tidy thinking habit on top of an existing practice. For instance, take 2 minutes to walk through the 3 C’s after you brush your teeth in the morning. Or do it while you wait for your coffee to brew.
Start a tidy thinking practice first thing in the morning to set the tone for your day. Review any anxious thoughts from the night before.
Keep a tidy thinking journal by your bed. Jot down any swirling thoughts before bed or when you wake up. Then, walk through the 3 C’s.
Set up reminders to check your thinking before reacting. For example, put a note on your computer that says “Curiosity, Compassion, Calibration” as a prompt before replying to emails.
When you notice your mind wandering, gently bring it back to the present moment. Refocus on your breathing, your steps, your surroundings.
Be patient with yourself. Tidy thinking is a skill that takes regular practice to build over time. Keep going even if your mind still wanders. Just keep bringing it back.

Here are a few critical points on the myth of always-be-hustling and the benefits of leveraging leisure:

Our culture glorifies being constantly busy and productive, which can be unhealthy and lead to burnout. Rest and leisure time are essential.
Technology allows work to invade all aspects of life, making it hard to disconnect entirely. This constant stimulation can be exhausting.
Taking strategic pauses and time for leisure activities allows our minds to refresh and refocus. Even busy leaders like Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey make time for this.
Leisure lets us connect back to our inner selves. Time in nature can be calming and centering.
By slowing down and avoiding overstimulation, we give our minds space for insights and creativity to emerge.
It’s counterintuitive, but leisure and rest allow us to be more productive ultimately and focused when it’s time to work. They replenish our mental reserves.
The key is intentionally building in leisure time and not feeling guilty about it. Quality downtime is essential for maintaining a steady pulse and avoiding burnout.
The myth of “always be hustling” promotes the idea that we should constantly strive, work, and be productive. However, this is unrealistic and unhealthy.
When we buy into this myth, we become overwhelmed, stressed, and burning ourselves out trying to keep up. This ironically leads to less productivity and success.
True leisure, where we psychologically and physically replenish ourselves, is essential but often neglected. Old world cultures valued rest more than we do today.
The author shares a personal story of how pushing herself too hard as a dancer without leisure time led to burnout. She mistook constant hustle for passion.
Taking a pause, she realized the importance of leisure. Without it, we miss out on experiencing and enjoying our lives thoroughly. The myth convinces us that hustling is the only path to success, but leisure time is essential for wellbeing.
True resilience comes from detaching and recharging, not just persevering. Nature and our bodies need rest and recovery time to thrive.
“Leverage leisure” means strategically using leisure to regenerate, boost creativity, connect with yourself and others, and be present. This is essential for sustained success.
Constant hustle and productivity can lead to burnout, poor health, and, ironically, decreased productivity. Studies show productivity drops sharply after 55+ hour workweeks.
“Productivity-itis” is the unhealthy preoccupation with being productive. This propels hustle but erodes wellbeing.
To leverage leisure, employ the “Three S’s”: savoring to appreciate pleasures, stillness for self-reflection, and sociability to connect with others.
Learning to pause and make time for leisure takes practice but is essential. It allows you to refuel and prevents burnout, boosting resilience and creativity.
Rather than avoiding leisure out of guilt or fear of idleness, recognize its benefits. Your value doesn’t come from the constant hustle.
Balance hustle with strategic leisure to sustain success, health, and happiness over the long term.
Leisure is active refueling and recharging, not laziness. It allows you to mentally detach from work, which research shows improves job performance and life satisfaction.
With exponential growth in technology, we must strategically and creatively respond through silence, sanctuary, and solitude.
Silence helps counter information overload, multitasking, choice overload, decision fatigue, and constant stimuli/noise from technology. It allows focused intention and better thinking.
Set rules around technology use - schedule specific times, recognize mindless scrolling, and turn off notifications. Make conscious choices about when to unplug.
Create sanctuary by structuring sacred spaces and times just for you. Give yourself permission to relax and restore.
Solitude provides space for reflection and accessing inner wisdom. Schedule regular solo time.
Incorporating silence, sanctuary, and solitude will replenish your reserves and equip you to show up as your best self.
Nomophobia - the fear of being without your mobile phone - is prevalent today. Studies show most people check their phones frequently throughout the day.
However, making space for silence away from devices has benefits:

It helps deepen social connections, as constant phone preoccupation detracts from giving full attention to others.
It improves productivity and reduces stress. Limiting email checking has been shown to lower pressure and increase focus.
It preserves mental acuity. Just having your smartphone nearby can reduce cognitive capacity, especially for those highly dependent on their devices.

The goal is not to be anti-tech but to integrate technology in a way that doesn’t weaken your pulse. Setting rules around your digital habits can help turn phones from constant interruptions into devices that protect your attention.
Steps to setting up digital rules:

Conduct a technology audit - observe and record your behaviors and rate problematic tendencies.
Create a priority list - decide which habits to keep, tweak, stop or start.
Rank desired behavior changes from least to most difficult to implement.
Integrate new rules slowly into daily life.

The author describes having an experience sitting in a garden, noticing nature’s sights, sounds, and smells. This made them feel calm, clear-minded, and more creative.
Since then, the author visits a “healing garden” weekly as a form of medicine and stress management. Time in nature is therapeutic.
Most people today spend little time outdoors, disconnecting them from nature. This can cause stress and other detrimental psychological effects.
Research shows immersing yourself in nature provides many benefits like lowering stress hormones, improving focus, boosting mood and creativity—even micro-doses of nature time help.
The author suggests making connecting with nature a regular practice by scheduling 20-30 minutes outdoors three times a week minimum. Add it to your calendar and make it a habit. Tune into your senses while outdoors to maximize the benefits.
Finding sanctuary in nature is not a waste of time but rather an investment in replenishing yourself. It can make you more productive and focused overall.

Here is a summary of the key points about solitude:

Solitude involves spending time alone with your thoughts and allowing your mind to wander without distraction. It is a competitive advantage in today’s busy world.
Many great thinkers and leaders throughout history regularly sought solitude for restoration and to distill their thoughts more deeply.
We often avoid solitude due to “FOMO” - fear of missing out. However, embracing “JOMO” - the joy of missing out - can be beneficial.
Research shows solitude activates the default mode network in your brain, leading to positive outcomes like increased clarity, creativity, self-awareness, and ability to work through problems.
It takes courage and discipline to create boundaries for solitude amidst the constant pressure to stay busy and connected. But it is critical for mental health.
Tips for solitude: schedule it like an important meeting, start small if needed (even 5 mins), try walking alone, turn off phone notifications, observe nature, and write in a journal.
The key is to prioritize time for your mind to recover from sensory input and distill your experiences and knowledge. This will boost cognitive abilities.
Solitude and time spent alone are critical for introspection, self-awareness, and distraction tuning out. Without solitude, you risk losing touch with your inner voice and sense of self.
Successful people build regular solitude into their lives through meditation, journaling, or simply spending time alone in nature. Solitude is not laziness but a necessary ingredient for focus, creativity, and understanding yourself.
Start small with solitude practices you’re comfortable with, like short walks alone or journaling for 10 minutes. Slowly increase the amount of solitude as you get used to it.
Take inventory of solitary moments in your day, like commuting alone. Use this time for reflection rather than distraction.
Find the correct dose of solitude for you through experimentation. Use tools like the leisure wheel to assess where you need more time alone.
Make a plan to integrate solitude practices into your life at different intervals - micro (1-20 mins), mini (20 mins - 1 day), macro (2+ days), and mega (1+ months).
Solitude, silence, and sanctuary can be combined for powerful reflective experiences. Remember to consider the impact of small doses of solitude.

Here are the key points from the passage:

Eliud Kipchoge broke the marathon world record, running 26.2 miles in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds. This incredible feat required tremendous support, including pacers running alongside him, fans cheering, nutritionists, engineers building technology to help, etc.
The myth of solo success perpetuates the false notion that success is solely based on our actions and attitudes. In reality, no one succeeds alone - we all need support from others.
We are wired as social beings to connect with others. Our survival as a species depends on interdependence and securing support.
Just as giant redwood trees intertwine their roots for strength and have survived for millennia, we need to connect with others to go far together. True success and sustainability requires securing support from others.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted our need for human connection. We instinctively reached out to others for comfort and meaning when facing isolation.
To sustain success, assess where you lack support and take steps to build your “root system.” Seek wise counsel, find cheerleaders, build community. With the right support system, you can thrive.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased concerns about social isolation, loneliness, and mental health, especially for vulnerable populations. This demonstrates how we are wired for human connection.
Despite being more connected digitally, many people worldwide report feeling lonely. Studies show high loneliness rates across countries and generations.
Research demonstrates loneliness has serious health consequences comparable to smoking, obesity, and alcoholism. Meaningful relationships are critical for wellbeing.
During the pandemic, there were heartwarming examples of people helping each other, showing the power of human connection even during isolation.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development revealed good relationships are crucial to health and happiness over the lifespan. Other studies confirm meaningful connections strengthen the immune system and reduce stress.
The story of the author’s father and his school principal, Mr. Sims, illustrates how simple care and securing support can have profound, lifelong impacts. After being laughed at for his shoes, Mr. Sims assured the boy he belonged and bought him new shoes, forever changing his self-worth and trajectory.

Here are a few critical points on the dangers of going it alone:

Attempting to go it alone and not ask for help when needed can lead to isolation and loneliness. It deprives others who want to help of the opportunity to do so.
The myth of solo success tells us that needing help or being vulnerable is a weakness. But in reality, interdependence and relying on others is a strength.
Overvaluing achievement over interpersonal connection can make us ill-equipped to form meaningful relationships. This can lead to loneliness, especially during challenging times.
Workplace loneliness is high today. Having a sense of connection and support at work can positively impact your personal pulse and work performance.
Going it alone means missing out on others’ perspectives and blind spots. It can hinder innovation, make you less resilient, and wear you down.
Self-focus has been associated with negative emotions like anxiety. Community and belonging are essential for well-being.
Attempting to be self-reliant is asking ourselves to leave our humanness behind. We all need support at times. Reaching out is courageous.

The key is finding a balance between valuing independence and interdependence. Connection with others provides meaning and is vital for sustaining your pulse.

Securing social support is critical for sustaining success and maintaining a solid personal pulse over the long term. Like coastal redwood trees have interwoven root systems for help, humans need social connections.
Loneliness affects everyone, not just certain personality types. It’s about perceiving that you need more social support, not necessarily being alone. A mix of surface-level and deep relationships is ideal.
Research shows social support boosts job satisfaction, performance, and retention. It provides a sense of purpose and wellbeing. Coworker support positively impacts job performance, involvement, and organizational commitment.
Social wellness is a critical component of overall health and physical and mental wellbeing. The 3 B’s of secure support are:

Belonging - Feeling socially excluded is painful and detrimental. Acts of Compassion build belonging.

Breadth: Having a diverse network creates resilience. Include close ties and weak ties.

Boundaries: Establish boundaries to nurture quality relationships. Manage energy through solitude.

Research shows that social exclusion activates the same brain regions involved in physical pain. Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) reduces feelings of social distress, indicating an overlap between physical and social pain processing.
Belonging at work provides many benefits, including better job performance, less turnover, fewer sick days, more promotions and raises, and a greater likelihood to recommend the company.
Subtle acts of exclusion can be very detrimental, while small acts of Compassion can encourage belonging. Our emotions are contagious due to mirror neurons that cause us to mimic others subconsciously.
You can spread positive emotions and a sense of belonging through emotional contagion by acting with Compassion - thinking about others, feeling for them, and wanting to help.
Practicing Compassion creates connection, reduces stress, and increases collaboration and trust. Intentionally employing compassionate practices helps build a culture of belonging from which you also benefit.
You can learn and strengthen your compassion skills. Small acts of Compassion send ripples of hope and belonging that build upon each other. By acting compassionately, you can become a belonging champion.

Here are the key points:

Surround yourself with people who have diverse viewpoints and experiences. This exposes you to new ideas, improves creativity and innovation, and increases cognitive flexibility and adaptability.
Avoid “groupthink,” where everyone has the same perspectives. This leads to stagnation and rigidity.
Connecting with people different from you pushes you out of your comfort zone to consider other viewpoints. This helps you avoid expert traps like overconfidence in solving problems.
Research shows employees from diverse backgrounds make workplaces more innovative and profitable.
Aim for both breadth and depth in your network. Weak ties with acquaintances act as bridges to new people and information. Remember to consider these weak ties.
Continuously evaluate your skills and flex your thinking—Diversity challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and grow.

The key is surrounding yourself with a diverse network to expose yourself to new perspectives, increase adaptability, avoid stagnation and groupthink, and bridge connections to new people and opportunities. Seek diversity in experience, viewpoints, backgrounds, and ages to maximize growth and innovation.

Creating healthy boundaries is essential for maintaining a steady personal pulse and energy levels. Edges help you say “yes” to the things that truly matter.
Boundaries are not about rigid separation but rather about establishing relationship rules that enable fulfilling connections while protecting your needs.
Boundaries exist from rigid/inflexible to fuzzy/unclear. The healthiest boundaries are clear but allow some flexibility.
If you don’t intentionally establish and articulate boundaries, holding others accountable for violating them is hard.
Important areas to set work-related boundaries include your time, energy/effort, emotional investment, information sharing, and access to you.
Setting values-based boundary rules involves first identifying your core values, then determining boundary-setting guidelines to uphold those values in your relationships.
Enforcing boundaries requires communicating them clearly and following through consistently when they are crossed. This may involve consequences.
Setting boundaries is an ongoing process requiring reflection, tuning, and course correcting. The goal is fulfilling, nourishing connections.
Most people need explicit rules for setting boundaries at work, leaving them vulnerable to burnout from ad hoc requests. Research shows that repeatedly responding to coworkers’ requests causes energy depletion and reduced focus.
Having clear boundaries enables you to sustain your energy and capacity for compassionate action over time. “Boundary-backed helping” involves determining when, who, and how you help based on your values and priorities.
To set values-based boundaries: Identify your top 10 work-related values, narrow to 5 core values, and use these to inform rules for what you will/won’t do to meet your needs.
Communicate new boundaries calmly, clearly, and precisely. Plan ahead what to say. Boundaries are a two-way street - respect others as well. People may be surprised at first by new boundaries.
Tips: Set boundaries gradually. Chunk helping into dedicated times. Assess requests before jumping in to help. Express gratitude to sustain helpers.

Here are a few critical points on evaluating effort and avoiding the trap of the “myth of more”:

The “myth of more” suggests that more is always better - that doing or having more will lead to more tremendous success and happiness. However, this is only sometimes true.
Trying too much can be counterproductive, spreading our efforts thin and leading to stress, distraction, and diluted focus. Quality often needs to improve when we try to take on more quantity.
It’s essential to be selective and intentional with where we direct our time and energy. Evaluating our efforts involves aligning activities with our core purpose and saying “no” to things that don’t serve that purpose.
Maximizing efficiency involves identifying the priorities that align with our purpose and will produce the greatest return on our effort. We can then focus our limited time and energy here.
Managing our energy sustainably is key - pushing ourselves to exhaustion could be more productive. We need to balance focused effort with renewal activities.
Emotions provide data to help guide our efforts. Negative emotions may signal misalignment or overexertion. Positive emotions can confirm we’re on the right track.
Having an accountability system and community helps provide perspective when evaluating how and where to direct effort. We can’t accurately judge this alone.

The key is focusing effort with intention rather than unthinkingly succumbing to the “more is better” myth. Evaluating action is about working smarter, not merely harder. Aligning action with purpose and selectively investing energy in the vital few priorities yields the most significant returns.

Himari is a talented and driven designer who has enthusiastically taken on many projects and opportunities. However, this has led to her feeling overwhelmed.
She sought coaching because she was finding it difficult to manage her toddler, career, side projects, and caring for her aging mother who moved in.
In one example, she sent her toddler to school while sick because she was too busy, which left her feeling guilty.
She fidgets and shakes her head as she talks, demonstrating her anxiety and stress from being overextended.
The core issue is that Himari has not evaluated her efforts or said “no” enough. She has taken on too much and needs to be stretched more across her many responsibilities and ambitions.
This leads to stress, guilt, and her inability to focus entirely on what matters most. She needs to learn to prioritize through evaluating where to spend her time and energy.
By thoughtfully assessing what requires her effort and aligning with her purpose, Himari can reclaim control and focus on the most important things without compromising her health and well-being.
Enduring principles represent your values and strengths that guide you. They encompass your “why” or purpose.
Knowing your enduring principles allows you to make choices and put efforts towards meaningful things, which leads to sustainable success and less burnout.
Meaningfulness and happiness are related but distinct - meaning comes from contributing beyond yourself, while happiness is a positive emotional state.
Chasing happiness without meaning can leave you unfulfilled. Research shows a lack of purpose mimics chronic stress gene expression even if you’re happy.
Meaning provides resilience. It can co-exist with happiness, but you need both to thrive.
You don’t need significant, risky pursuits for meaning. Small daily choices guided by principles create sense over time.
Identify a few core enduring principles to refocus on regularly. Let them steer your efforts and choices.
Living by your principles, even amid challenges, makes efforts feel purposeful rather than draining. Evaluating against them sustains you.
Meaning can be found in our everyday choices that align with our enduring principles and values. For example, my grandmother found meaning in her work as a maid by connecting it to her principle of supporting her family’s education.
Research shows that having a sense of purpose and meaning in life promotes well-being - people live longer, have better cognitive functioning, and are more resilient to stress.
Meaning comes more from within and connecting your actions to your values, not your job title. For example, janitors who saw their role as healers and ambassadors found significant meaning in their work.
Over 90% of employees are willing to sacrifice 23% of lifetime earnings for more meaningful work, showing how much purpose matters.
To build enduring principles, identify your values, unique skills, and meaningful pursuits in life. Craft these into a personal mission statement to guide your choices and path.
Guiding principles provide an anchor amid uncertainty and change. Aligning choices to your principles brings meaning and steady success.

Here are a few suggestions for Yalda on better managing her energy as a compassionate person:

Build in alone time. As an HSP, Yalda likely needs more downtime than others to recharge her batteries. She could schedule breaks between meetings, take a quick walk midday, or wake up 30 minutes earlier to have quiet time.
Set boundaries around social media. Checking comments and messages less frequently, turning off notifications, or limiting time on platforms can help manage overwhelm. She may also consider hiring someone to help filter or respond to comments.
Prioritize self-care. Getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, and engaging in relaxing activities will support Yalda’s resilience. Things like yoga, meditation, and time in nature can be incredibly nourishing.
Adapt the workflow. Yalda could examine if certain parts of her business are more draining and either delegate those tasks, outsource them, or restructure how she approaches them.
Reflect on values/purpose. Reconnecting to her core motivations and what energizes her can help Yalda discern what to keep, change, or let go of. She may need to reshape things so her work aligns with her sensitive nature.
Consider a sabbatical. Taking an extended break could allow Yalda to fully recharge and gain clarity on the next steps for a business model that is sustainable long-term.

The key is finding the right balance, boundaries, and practices so that Yalda’s sensitive abilities become assets rather than hindrances. With some adjustments, she can thrive in work she finds meaningful.

Susceptible people (HSPs) process information sincerely, notice details intensely, and respond vigorously to stimuli. This genetic trait affects 15-20% of people.
HSPs are not necessarily introverts - 30% are estimated to be extroverts. They aren’t just women - 20% of males are considered HSPs.
HSPs tend to be highly empathetic, deep thinkers and detail-oriented. These are valuable traits in the workplace. However, they must manage their energy and sensory inputs to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
Everyone is sensitive to their environment to some degree. Managing sensory input is essential for maintaining energy and focus. This involves knowing how different backgrounds and activities affect your energy levels.
Do an “energy audit” to track your activities, environment, people you’re with, and resultant energy levels. This reveals energy-draining interactions to avoid and energizing experiences to integrate.
Pick relationships wisely - spend time with people who energize you. Avoid “energy vampires” who drain your energy.
Integrate calming experiences during exciting or high-arousal activities to give your nervous system a break. Calm is critical for preserving energy.
Start a “to-don’t” list to limit energy-draining activities consciously. Manage your energy by saying no to tasks that deplete you.

Here’s a summary of the key points:

Emotional acuity involves tuning in to your emotions’ signals and information. Emotions provide essential data that can guide you toward staying true to your values and purpose.
In our fast-paced lives, seeing emotions as a nuisance or background noise is easy. However, emotions convey valuable insights about your environment, relationships, values, and things you want to change.
Gaining skills to understand and use your emotions helps you evaluate your efforts and maintain a steady personal pulse. Noticing feelings provides clues on how to respond to them.
Some emotions like fear can send distress signals that aren’t always functional today. Steady-pulse individuals discern which emotional signs are helpful versus false alarms.
Many common tips advise avoiding “negative” emotions entirely. However, research shows accepting feelings helps defuse them, while avoiding them can backfire.
“Toxic positivity” refers to overriding authentic emotions with forced positivity. This can cause you to miss seeing essential problems that need addressing.
Emotions are data to help guide you, not necessarily facts you must act on. Steady-pulse individuals evaluate the information emotions provide rather than reacting impulsively.

Here’s a summary of the key points:

Emotions are essential to the human experience and should not be denied or suppressed, especially in the workplace. Leaders who appear overly confident by minimizing emotions can lack empathy and connection.
Feeling and rational thought are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Balancing logic and emotion leads to better decision making.
Toxic positivity that allows only positive emotions to shut down honest conversations and invalidates dissenting opinions. Psychological safety, where people feel they can express themselves freely, is critical for collaboration and innovation.
Developing emotional granularity by expanding your vocabulary of nuanced emotion words leads to greater self-awareness and the ability to manage emotions effectively.
Make time to tune into your emotions and consider what they signal rather than rush through feelings. Identifying emotions precisely provides clarity on how to address them appropriately.
Overall, honing your emotional acuity by fully experiencing a range of emotions, not denying them, unlocks empathy and understanding to move forward in work and life.

Here are a few suggestions for choosing and combining the PULSE practices into your personalized resilience toolkit:

Reflect on which capabilities and practices resonated most with you. Which ones got you most excited or interested?
Consider your unique needs, strengths, circumstances, and goals. What are your biggest challenges right now? Where do you want to grow?
Start small. Pick 1-2 practices per capability to focus on rather than trying to do everything simultaneously.
Re-evaluate over time. As your needs change, you can swap out practices or add new ones to keep strengthening your toolkit.
Mix and match. Pull practices from different capabilities to create combinations that work for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all path.
Be patient and persistent. Building these skills takes time and consistency. Remain committed to your chosen practices.
Customize as needed. Feel free to adapt the practices to fit your lifestyle. The key is finding what works for YOU.

The goal is a personalized set of practices you’re excited about that target your unique growth areas and that you can realistically maintain over time. With some reflection and experimentation, you’ll be on your way to assembling your ideal steady-pulse resilience toolkit!

Building individual, team, and organizational resilience is crucial for sustained success. Initiatives that only focus on individual stability often need to address the impact of groups/workplaces on wellbeing.
Research shows that leaders and organizational factors significantly influence employee burnout. Failing to foster pro-resilience practices at the team and corporate level misses a big part of the burnout equation.
In today’s rapidly changing work environment, organizations need more than agility to succeed long-term. Research shows skill without resilience can have negative consequences like burnout.
Steady-pulse organizations that build agility and resilience will have a competitive advantage. This creates the ability to adapt while avoiding burnout rapidly.
Steady-pulse practices build skills like psychological safety, trust, vulnerability, and communication. This allows teams to take intelligent risks, collaborate, and innovate while avoiding burnout.
A resilience-based culture creates more opportunities for individuals and teams to thrive, fueling sustained success. By investing across all levels, organizations create a mutually supportive environment.
Building steady-pulse teams and organizations is an indispensable business strategy for the new world of work. It allows organizations to change rapidly while keeping people energized and engaged over the long term.

Here are the key points:

Employees with high agility but low resilience are at increased risk of burnout, depression, anxiety, and absenteeism. Combining skill with stability boosts engagement and performance.
Burnout negatively impacts retention, morale, and engagement. Resilient employees have greater job satisfaction and commitment.
Talented people seek purpose-driven cultures that support employee wellbeing. A people-first culture is a competitive advantage.
Ethical leaders believe supporting employee resilience is a fundamental responsibility. Weak-pulse leadership exhausts people; steady-pulse leadership energizes them.
The “ABCs of Steady-Pulse Teams” are agency (fostering autonomy), benevolence (building trust), and community (promoting belonging).
Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. Day-to-day leadership actions significantly impact employee resilience.
Key practices include fostering autonomy, building trust, promoting belonging, recognizing efforts, offering support, and modeling self-care. Together these deposit in the team’s resilience reserves.
In experiments where dogs were given inescapable electric shocks, they eventually stopped trying to avoid the surprises, even when it became possible. This demonstrates “learned helplessness” - if you feel you can’t control or influence what happens, you eventually give up trying.
To avoid causing learned helplessness in your team, managers should prioritize giving employees a sense of agency and control. Recommended practices:

Communicate expectations for success in job roles, ensuring alignment between job descriptions and actual work.
Make sure workloads, resources, and time constraints are realistic and feasible.
Invest in meaningful professional development and have regular conversations about progress.
Define clear roles, provide proper tools and adequate resources, enable career growth, allow autonomy, be flexible with unrealistic goals, respond to signs of stress, keep reasonable work hours, and assign manageable tasks.
Provide objective feedback so employees know what is expected and how to improve.
Commit to equitable practices, open and honest communication, and recognition of contributions to build a sense of benevolence and goodwill.
Show vulnerability and authenticity, acknowledge challenges, listen without judgment, validate emotions, and humanize the workplace.

In summary, giving employees agency over their work and demonstrating benevolence through fair policies fosters resilience and engagement.

Here is a summary of the key points about promoting community in the workplace:

Fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion is critical. Employees need to feel welcomed, accepted, and valued for who they are. Leaders should get to know employees personally and encourage them to share their perspectives.
Build psychological safety. Employees must feel they can take interpersonal risks without fear of negative consequences. Leaders can create psychological safety through norms of mutual respect, modeling openness to feedback, and not punishing honest mistakes.
Facilitate positive relationships. Provide opportunities for social connections, like team building activities and employee resource groups—also role model caring, Compassion, and cooperation in your interactions.
Promote diversity and prevent bias. Seek variety in hiring and promotions. Call out and address any biased or exclusive behaviors. Make equal access to opportunities a priority.
Allow for respectful dissent. Employees should feel comfortable voicing concerns and disagreeing politely. Leaders can invite constructive criticism and listen without defensiveness.
Build shared purpose. Connect day-to-day tasks to the company’s broader mission and values. Remind employees of the meaningful impact of their work.
Intervene in conflicts. Address tensions quickly and impartially through open communication. Focus on understanding all perspectives and finding mutually satisfactory solutions.

The key is making employees feel valued, respected, and cared for as whole people. This fosters a resilient organizational community where people support each other’s growth and success.

Here are the key points:

Create a psychologically safe environment where employees feel secure and supported and can take interpersonal risks. This enables diverse ideas and viewpoints to emerge.
Get to know employees as people. Show interest in their lives, passions, and families. Make authentic personal connections.
Listen actively, be approachable and responsive, have zero tolerance for uncaring behaviors, show genuine curiosity, hold space for vulnerability, and practice compassion.
To improve the employee experience and build resilience:

Create an employee journey map documenting touchpoints from recruitment to offboarding.
Develop a survey assessing burnout and wellbeing.
Discover insights through surveys and interviews.
Diagnose problem areas and bright spots on the journey map.
Develop solutions with employee input.
Deploy interventions, measure impact, and repeat the process.

Focus on shaping the employee experience through steady-pulse leadership practices that foster agency, benevolence, and community. This mutually builds resilience at the individual, team, and organization level.
Burnout is increasingly common among professionals and can have severe consequences like physician suicide. Mindfulness practices have been shown to help reduce burnout.
Studies found mindfulness training helped reduce burnout and increase empathy among physicians. It can also improve patient care quality.
For medical students, mindfulness decreased stress and increased empathy. Chronic stress can have damaging effects like reduced hippocampus volume.
Tidying up and decluttering, as described in Marie Kondo’s book, can be an act of mindfulness that reduces stress. This mindset can extend to other areas of life besides physical objects.
Small mindset shifts, like viewing stress as enhancing rather than debilitating, can change our physiological response. A growth mindset sees abilities as developable through effort.
Mindfulness practices help us pay attention to the present moment rather than ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. This reduces burnout.

In summary, mindfulness training and practices, even small ones incorporated into daily life, can reduce symptoms of burnout and increase professional success by reducing stress, increasing empathy, and improving patient care. A growth mindset and focus on the present moment also contribute to this.

Here is a summary of the key points from the references:

Taking breaks and vacations is essential for reducing stress and improving productivity, but many people see holidays as stressful.
Overwork and workaholism correlate with reduced life satisfaction and impaired performance.
Stress and negative moods reduce focus and increase mind-wandering.
Recovery techniques like sleep, meditation, and leisure help restore cognitive resources.
Moderate, short-term stress can temporarily boost learning and performance on some tasks.
Boredom encourages creativity as people seek stimulation.
Common regrets of the dying include overworking and not spending enough time on meaningful relationships and activities.
Experiences like awe, enjoyment, and laughter are correlated with positive emotions globally, while stress, sadness, and anger are negatively correlated.
Practices like mindfulness, savoring positives, leisure, and self-compassion can counteract negativity bias.

In summary, the research highlights the importance of balancing focused effort with recovery and positive experiences for well-being.

Here is a summary of the key points from the article:

Working long hours can negatively impact productivity and well-being. Research shows productivity declines after 50+ hours/week.
Frequent distractions like emails reduce focus and increase stress. Even brief distractions can double the number of errors people make.
Information overload from technological devices can diminish cognitive capacity. The mere presence of a smartphone reduces available mental ability.
Constant digital stimulation impairs contemplation and creativity. Uninterrupted alone time allows the mind to wander creatively.
Exposure to noise pollution triggers stress responses. Silence has therapeutic effects on cognition and emotional state.
Frequent social media use can negatively affect mood and life satisfaction. Time offline improves interactions with others.
Immersion in nature boosts mental health and cognitive function. It reduces stress, improves mood, restores attention, and enhances creativity.
Overall, the article argues that reducing digital distractions, noise, and information overload while increasing natural time can improve wellbeing, focus, and productivity. Moderation and balance are key.

Here is a summary of the key points from the article “Roved Mental Health,” September 23, 2014, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140923121413.htm:

The article reports on a study that found spending time outdoors, especially in green spaces, is linked to improved mental health and vitality.
The study surveyed over 20,000 people in England and found that those who spent more time outside had improved mental health and vitality.
The positive effects were strongest for those who spent over 2 hours a week in natural environments like parks, woodlands, and beaches. Even small doses of nature were beneficial.
The study controlled for other factors like income, education, exercise, etc. So, those factors did not explain the link between time in nature and improved well-being.
Experiencing nature can help restore mental capacities depleted by busy urban environments, providing a chance to reflect and gain perspective. It can also reduce stress and boost mood.
The researchers suggest their findings demonstrate a public health benefit of natural environments. Providing access and encouraging time in nature could be an inexpensive way to promote mental health and vitality.

In summary, the study provides evidence spending time in natural environments is linked to improved mental health, likely by restoring depleted mental capacities and reducing stress. The researchers argue exposure to nature should be promoted as a public health strategy.

Here is a summary of the key points from the sources:

A sense of meaning and purpose in life is linked to better health outcomes, emotional resilience, and longevity. Meaningful work is a critical component of finding purpose.
Crafting a job to align work with one’s values and strengths is a crucial way to create meaning. Susceptible people need to be more intentional about crafting roles that avoid overwhelm.
Adversity and setbacks are inevitable in life and work. How we frame these challenges influences our ability to bounce back. Reframing difficulties as opportunities for growth fosters resilience.
Accepting negative emotions, rather than suppressing them, can improve psychological health. Emotions like anger or sadness serve an adaptive purpose and can motivate change when processed constructively.
Speaking up against injustice, as Rosa Parks did, often requires courage in the face of fear. Her story illustrates how purpose can inspire perseverance despite uncertainty about the consequences.
Psychological safety on teams enables people to take interpersonal risks and fully engage. Feeling safe to express divergent views or concerns leads to learning and better outcomes.

Here is a summary of the key points from the passages:

Burnout is a serious issue affecting many workers today due to increased work demands, lack of control, and poor workplace culture. It harms health, productivity, and retention.
Burnout is an organizational, not just individual, problem. Leaders play a crucial role in preventing it by building healthier workplaces.
Strategies like strengthening social connections, setting boundaries, undoing unhelpful thinking patterns, and practicing self-compassion can help prevent burnout.
Taking time for rest, reflection, and recovery is essential. The myth of “always hustling” contributes to burnout.
Building personal resilience, an empowering work environment, and a sense of shared purpose and community helps create “steady pulse” teams and organizations. The ABCs framework focuses on agency, benevolence, and community.
Leaders should aim to develop calm, focused effort in themselves and their teams, not constant busyness and stress. This requires calibrating demands with capabilities and resources.
Preventing burnout improves well-being, performance, creativity, and retention. Organizations must make it a priority.
The default mode network is part of the brain active during self-reflection and mind wandering. It tends to be overactive in people with depression.
Deliberate focus is purposefully directing attention, which builds mental muscle over time. It contrasts with mind wandering.
Deliberate practice involves focusing on improving skills beyond one’s comfort zone. It enables mastery.
The deployment stage of the design process involves trying potential solutions and getting feedback.
Depression and burnout are linked to overactive default mode networks. Practices like mindfulness can help.
Depth of connections refers to diverse weak and robust network ties. This provides benefits like new perspectives.
The design process involves diagnosis, discovery, development, and deployment stages to create solutions. Iteration is key.
Detachment and perspective are essential for resilience—too much self-focus fuels burnout.
Focused effort aligned to priorities builds energy and avoids burnout. Goal setting and energy management enable this.
Diversity of ideas, backgrounds, and networks builds collective intelligence and problem solving. Psychological safety enables this.
Evaluating effort through awareness, prioritization, and the three E’s (energy, emotion, engagement) is essential to sustainable performance.

Here are the critical points about pacing for performance, securing support, leveraging leisure, undoing untidy thinking, and evaluating effort from the book Steady:

Pacing for performance involves setting stretch yet achievable goals, planning how to reach them, practicing skills, and monitoring progress. It requires finding the optimal pace that avoids both stagnation and burnout.
Securing support involves cultivating belonging, setting healthy boundaries, and building a breadth of relationships. Social support enhances resilience, creativity, and performance.
Leveraging leisure entails incorporating therapeutic activities into life. Time for silence, solitude, and sanctuary renews energy and perspective.
Undoing untidy thinking means developing mindfulness, self-compassion, and curiosity. This clears mental clutter that drains energy and impairs judgment.
Evaluating effort requires aligning actions with enduring values, managing energy effectively, and developing emotional awareness. This enables focusing efforts on what matters most.

The key is developing a steady personal pulse - a sustainable rhythm of effort and recovery. This builds resilience and enables thriving in work and life. Steady pacing, support, leisure, thinking, and values alignment are crucial to maintaining a steady pulse.

Here is a summary of the key points from the book:

Pacing yourself is critical to sustain high performance and avoid burnout. Take strategic breaks, set boundaries, and align efforts to your natural ultradian rhythm.
Untidy thinking like rumination and worry drain mental resources. Practice mindfulness to calm the mind and enhance focus.
Leverage leisure by incorporating therapeutic activities into each day. Micro-leisure moments recharge the brain.
Secure social support and connection to reduce strain. Nurture close relationships and build a sense of community.
Evaluate efforts and shift perspective to enhance motivation and efficacy. Reframe setbacks as opportunities and focus on intrinsic rewards.
Adopt a steady-pulse approach of consistent, sustainable effort over racing and straining. It enables enduring high performance.
Apply steady-pulse principles team-wide and organizationally to create humane, productive cultures. Support employee wellbeing.

The key is adopting personalized strategies to work smarter, not just more complicated. A steady-pulse mindset prevents burnout while driving results.

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The Burnout Fix Overcome Overwhelm, Beat - Jacinta M. Jimenez