Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast

262. Keeping Strong for the Long Run (Without Burning Out)

• Season 21 • Episode 262

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As the year heads into its final stretch, how do we finish well: staying motivated, grounded, and energised rather than crawling to the end  of year finish line?
 In this first episode of our Energy Refuel & Reset mini-series, we unpack five powerful principles to help sustain our performance when the pressure is high and the tank feels low:

  • Pace yourself - over time, consistency beats intensity.
  • Respect your energy curve - work with your natural rhythm, not against it.
  • Micro-refuels for macro results - quick breathers make a big difference.
  • Boundaries that protect your energy - to say yes to what matters most.
  • Celebrate progress - progress is fuel; cheer yourself along the marathon!

We also introduce the 4 Rs Tool which is a practical framework used by crisis-management teams to maintain energy and morale during constant fire-fighting. As usual we share a clear call to action, plus ideas to share this with colleagues to enable reflective prompts and realistic strategies that we can re/start using right away.

Listen in to reset your mindset, recharge your energy, and finish the year strong without burning out.

SPEAKER_00:

Coming up on this week's Secrets from a Coach.

SPEAKER_01:

Have we and do we and are we celebrating our successes? Because that creates the motivation, the energy to keep going. It builds confidence, it gives you the resilience because you've reviewed where you've come from. We all know that if we haven't got clear boundaries, then that energy will just leak out everywhere. Whether it's people pleasing or you know, overcommitting, I think boundaries are an act of self-respect.

SPEAKER_00:

Secrets from a coach. Thrive and maximize your potential in the evolving workplace. Your weekly podcast with Debbie Green of Wishfish and Laura Thompson-Stavely of Phenomenal Training.

SPEAKER_01:

Laura, you alright?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I'm I'm doing really well, thank you. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I'm alright, thank you. Good week. Lots of stuff happening. Can't believe where we are, and you know, come to the end of another year. It's like, wow, it's crazy, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00:

I know. And here's the thing: if it's not your first rodeo, how do you keep smiling and waving as the rigours of ongoing continuing change carry on? I was chatting with someone yesterday in a lunch break through a workshop, and she said, Right, I've got five years until I retire. Can you give me some tips for how I keep energized and hungry for change? When this is probably about the 10th CEO that I've needed to build relationships with. And I think that is one of the premium skills during times of uncertainty and ongoing change, is when is the first time you've been through organisational transformation? It is new and exciting, it still might be stressful, but there's like a novelty factor to it. If it is not your first rodeo and you've been through many of these things again, how do you bring that wisdom forward without it being something that's perceived as baggage? And so I'm so looking forward to the four-part focus we're going to look at this month, Debs, which is our mini-series looking at energy, refuel, and reset. No matter what your stage of career, no matter what your age, one of the things we probably can predict is your level of personal energy is probably one of the biggest indicators for how happy, healthy, and thriving you are in your work life.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

What are you picking up from your coaching perspective about how important it is to keep strong as the ongoing change, but without it coming at personal health sacrifice?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Oh my god. Lord, there's so much at the moment. And um, I found some stats actually that were based on um actually 2024-2025 um data. I'll find out who it came from and I'll make sure people can um have a look for themselves. But there are, believe it or not, the um reason we should think about how do we look after our energy and um has to be one of our you know key priorities in order to help us be strong and continue to do what we do. Um, 91% of UK adults report high or extreme pressure in the past year. 63% of employees are experiencing burnout-related symptoms, and that could be you know anything. Um, 62% are worried about being overworked. Um, and we hear that a lot, don't we, Laura? About I haven't got the time, there's just so much to do. And if one person's leaving, that means who's going to pick up their workload. So you're right, it's all of that. And actually, which I felt was interesting, 60% at the moment in the UK, this is, believe their organizations prioritise profit over well-being. And certainly, um, in some of the work that I've been doing one-on-one, is there are a lot more people that are either off sick at the moment or are not working at their full capacity or are struggling with what's going on. Um, and 21% of those have taken time away from work due to mental health issues driven by stress. So, you know, it's it's not unusual or it's not personal that, you know, burnout is around that title burnout. Um, but it is systemic of to what's going on at the moment. And with constant change and everything that's going on, and as you said, how do we keep our energy up and be strong? I think it's a really important topic to explore how we can manage our energies well and how we can have some tools just to consider and put boundaries in place that can help us because it's not going away. And I think those stats are like 91% of UK adults report high or extreme pressure in the past year. That's mind-blowing.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, I might and just bringing in a bit of robot thing here, Dick.

SPEAKER_01:

No, not the robots.

SPEAKER_00:

Wouldn't it just be a crying shame if during your work part of your life, work phase, what was stressing you out and making things difficult, bringing real-world physiological health problems that hit you when you're in your retirement, all gets automated and done by bots now, anyway. So wouldn't that just be a such a shame if the stuff that impacted our mental and physical health actually at some point that stress is going to be taken away and done by an a non-human? I know that brings then other challenges and concerns, but I guess it's about looking at the the bigger picture. And um, there was a comment I was I was co-delivering alongside someone last week, and he made a brilliant um comment. We need to be working harder on ourselves than our job. Yeah, and I thought that was a really interesting perspective. You know, remember you are the storyline from beginning to end of your career. Yes, jobs will come and go. I know they can be highly uncomfortable times because most of us need to work because we need that financial security, but you're the beginning and end of that career story, and so I think it's always really inspiring to look at how other professions look after themselves. And there's a tool that we're going to weave in through this.

SPEAKER_01:

We are, because we're doing something slightly different, aren't we, Laura?

SPEAKER_00:

So just to sort of set up the four R's tool, so these are four phases that each begin with R, and I'll do the reveal when we get to each bit. But this apparently is how crisis management teams manage their energy. If you know that every time you get into your workplace, difficult, stressful things happen and um and it never ends because people are always doing silly or act, you know, silly things or things that are terrible that need to be dealt with, then how do you keep your energy over the long run? So if you've got a non-project-based role and every day it's just more stuff you need to deal with, actually, there's a really interesting tool that just helps you put almost like artificial phases around it to enable you to keep strong for the long run. So I'll kind of introduce those bits when we get to each stage. But yeah, tell me, how are we gonna run this session, Debs? Because we're not gonna use the power of three. We're not now twitchy.

SPEAKER_01:

I love this. Um, I'm gonna do it around five key areas that we have to consider. I know five, not three, Laura. How are you gonna cope? I've got you. I'm walking alongside you as we do this. Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you, compassionate coach.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, and and they're quite, you know, just things to for us to consider as we you know, as we go through um this period of our time, because as you say, it's gonna head, it's not just gonna all come to an end, it will continue, as you said, and as things evolve with the robots and AI, we've got to be continually refocusing, refueling, re-im-imagining how we can do it. So, um, so we're gonna do some talking topics as well. I've called them, Laura. So we've got five that we're gonna explore, short and snappy, um, and you're gonna weave in your tool, and then also you're gonna give us your thoughts about what are some of the things that you've experienced that have enabled you to do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Fab. And as you listen along, if you like it, connect with us, like it, because it makes it easier for our content to then be found by others. Because if there's one thing uh a lot of people are needing at the moment, and the status say it as well, is practical tips that enable us to thrive and actually enjoy some of this ongoing transformation that we're seeing in our well in our ever-evolving world of work at the moment.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, Debs, talk to me. Okay, you're ready. Step one of five. I'm listening.

SPEAKER_01:

Step one of five. This is about pacing yourself for the long run, which is what we're talking about, because we know that you know, in order to um sustain a performance, to be able to deliver, to be able to do what we we need, relies on having like what we call a steady rhythm. That um, so rather than running and sprinting from one thing to another and crashing, it's actually making sure that we recognise that our energy is quite a finite resource that does require intentional management um rather than just constant output. So, my question for you, Law, is where in your week are you currently sprinting when a steady pace would serve you better?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh now, there's a question, Debs.

SPEAKER_01:

There is a question. What's your thoughts, Law?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, well, the first word that came to mind was lumpy.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, lumpy. Tell me more.

SPEAKER_00:

And I remember having a little sort of moment to myself a couple of years ago. So, prompted by the pandemic, virtual working became much more of a thing than it had been before. And um, what I remember having this chat with you saying, I think I need my working week to just be a bit less lumpy because there was a lull on Monday and Friday, because typically we work with people who kind of work office hours, and then your Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday was like adrenaline fuels. Yeah, that's sort of Friday was oh my goodness, you know, actually having some time to breathe. So I think um I think I sort of took that on board a little bit and um scheduled more things in for Mondays and Fridays.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, um you sprinted through those days as well.

SPEAKER_00:

But actually, practically, yeah, here's how I plan my week now. I first of all plan in geographically where am I gonna be. Yeah, and then the next thing is I plan in exercise.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, good. So that's really neat.

SPEAKER_00:

The very next thing, second on my priority list now, after family and and friends, etc., is where am I gonna put in my exercise? And that for me are my little refuge moments because I've just accepted, I actually thrive through sprinting, but I start to get resentful if it feels like I've got no time I can call my own. Yeah, and actually that's where I've found early morning exercise a way to feel set up. So that's how at the age I'm at now, because I can feel my knees and my neck getting older.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, 85, you're looking good on 85 by the long. Oh, thanks, Deb.

SPEAKER_00:

Love a filter. Um, yeah, so to answer your question, that's where the sprint and how I sort of ensure that I don't get too resentful with that.

SPEAKER_01:

Ah, nice. So so what you're saying is that you're actually getting ready where you've identified some a task where you can actually actively slow down and either simplify or sequence it over the weeks, rather, you know, so you know it's coming. So um rather than just go through, full out, sprint, sprint, sprint, and then clap. So you're getting ready for your week. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

And interestingly, for anyone here that's listening that's ever had a sales type of job, it is quite normal practice to have a pipeline and then you then know what's ahead, what might need to be doing now to be proactive. And actually, step one of the four R's tool is the R word ready. So scanning the next three months, 90 days is quite a convenient one, or whatever time frame feels appropriate for you. What do I need to get ready for? What's my pipeline uh gonna um looking like? So then I can um start to get ready for um the energy it's gonna require and to start to have a bit of a bigger sort of perspective around it. Because it could be you're in a manic phase at the moment, phase at the moment, but actually when you scan the next couple of months, you can actually it's it's it's a bit easier. So it enables you to tolerate today a bit more because you know it's not ongoing. Equally, if you can if you could see, well, next couple of months are gonna be full on, then at least you know what you can be ready for, which then links nicely to the other one. So that's step one needs to get ready for.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so are you ready to hear um what step two is?

SPEAKER_00:

Born ready dips.

SPEAKER_01:

So Lor, step two is um something I really enjoy because it's about respecting the energy curve. Um, because we all have natural peaks and dips. Is it you're either the lark or the owl or the one in the middle, I don't know what they call that one anymore. Um, but being able to understand what your rhythms are and working them productively, like you said, going um to exercise in the morning, that's a rhythm that you've created for yourself, absolutely increases your productivity, helps in your gentle, you know, your general well-being and clarity of thought, because you know we need to have that space and that respect our energy curve. So, Law, my question for you is this one What are your natural high energy windows and how could you protect them for your most important work?

SPEAKER_00:

Ooh.

SPEAKER_01:

Ooh.

SPEAKER_00:

Whether I was born this way or made this way, I've been a up-my feet train. I have been an up-on-my feet trainer for 25 years now, and it has just been ingrained into me now Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are the days where people tend to want training. So I have learnt that I don't book massive uh if I book something, if if something happens like there's a conference or something on a Sunday or Monday, I then know that I need to make sure I have a day where it's not so much up on my feet because otherwise I'm gonna get then a bit tired for the thing, you know, whatever sort of day is coming up next. So I I whether I'm made this way, born this way, walk this way, the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are the high energy bits. I also know though that I love to feel like I've got a big, vibrant social life. So I also plan my week to ensure that I'm not so tired on a Friday and Saturday night that I then um yeah, don't, you know, I I don't want to, I I I don't want to be slanting in front of the sofa falling asleep because on a Friday night, because I'm so rung out from Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. So I think that's the other benefit of a Friday, is it's a bit of a reset week. However, I like that. I'm I'm reset day, but I feel even saying this out loud, that is the benefit of self-employment and working for yourself. However, however many clients you've got is however many bosses you've got. So there's always someone that needs a response. There's always an inbox and an email. It's just there's an illusion of free will self-employed that enables you to sort of make those choices intentionally.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I love that. So I suppose what you're actually doing is creating uh, I suppose, an uninterrupted period or focused period during that week where you are able to respond in the right way to be able to still be productive and still manage your energy.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, absolutely. So where step one of the four R's was ready. So let me scan and plan what is ahead of me on the radar for the next couple of months. The second stage is respond. So what are the energy demands that are going to be put upon me and where are the bits that are really important for me to have high energy? Therefore, what might I need to decline or accept in order to be set up for success so it doesn't all end up in some kind of meltdown where you've kind of overcommitted. So that's the second stage is yeah, respond stage. What is going to be demanded of me? I like that.

SPEAKER_01:

And if you want to be a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, this works brilliantly as a way to think about a team, refuel, and reset. So, as a team, what do we need to be ready for? And as a team, what's going to be the demand that we're going to be needing to respond to? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that. So if you've you know, if you if you've resonated with what Laura's just said there, whether you're individual or a team, um, then my call to action on this one is block one unto uninterrupted focus um this week, um, where you have to treat it as a non-negotiable, which is really, really important. So thanks, Laura. So you're ready for the next one? This is number three. This is where you love to live. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_00:

Bring it on, Debs.

SPEAKER_01:

So, Law, number three is about micro refuels create macro results. So, it's all about how well we recover. Say that again, Debs.

SPEAKER_00:

Loving that phrase.

SPEAKER_01:

I love micro refuels create macro results, and this all is all about those short intentional moments of recovery and connection and movement or joy that compound into giving you that energy back because recovery is a super, super bit around how do we have a good plan to be able to perform well? It's not a luxury. So, my question, Laura, is this one what is your simplest refuel activity you can add into your daily routine that boosts your mood and energy for at least two minutes or longer? Oh be careful how you answer this one, Laura, because there are people listening.

SPEAKER_00:

Um obviously trying to maintain a good personal brand here now, but can I say a jigsaw?

SPEAKER_01:

Is that odd? Nothing wrong with a jigsaw, Laura. Oh, I don't know what's happening. Recovery time.

SPEAKER_00:

Honestly, I just a bit of cheeky jigsawing while I'm waiting for the kettle to boil in between like virtual meetings or sessions or something. If I'm working from home and again, you know, viewing it as lucky to work from home rather than resentful to work from home, yeah, to then be able to put in these little two-minute kind of um recovery spots. And so rather than so there's a couple of times where if I know I'm starting to feel a bit hunched over and a bit resentful and a bit manic, then I think, right, while I'm waiting for the kettle to boil, I know that's gonna give me two minutes, yeah. I'm not gonna sort the washing out, I'm not gonna write a book or whatever ridiculous idea I've got in my mind is what I can achieve, or check emails. Yeah, because it couldn't you're crass on devs. I'm just gonna get that jigsaw down from the top of the fridge and treat myself too.

SPEAKER_01:

Love it.

SPEAKER_00:

A bit of uh, yeah, and because it feels so ridiculous, it makes me smile, and then um, yeah, and then I'll feel a little bit sort of brighter. But I think that's one of the things that I've discovered as I've got older devs. It's all right, uh it's all right to be a bit of a geek. It's okay to say actually it's not all champagne and cocktails and networking events. No, there's also quiet moments where you just pop on an audible, yeah, listen to some Norwegian thriller.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And listen listen to a cheeky Linda Laplant and hear about bodies being found in cellars. Like if that just gives you a bit of a refuge point, then you do you, and it'll be different for different people.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. I love that. And I suppose just on that, I suppose mine is that just sitting quietly with a mc me croissant and me coffee and just just watching people. I love people watching. So I suppose the call to action, if you if you are thinking about what you could do, listeners, to in order to get your, if you like, micro refull refuels, um, think about how you can schedule in at least three of these into your week. So whether it's going out fresh, fresh air, whether it's doing a jigsaw like lore, whether it's stretching, laughter, music, whatever it can be for you, get something, two minutes of just, as you said, enabling you to recover and to recover well. So that was number three, Laura.

SPEAKER_00:

Love it. And Debs, that fits beautifully in with the third of the four R's. So step number one is what do we need to get ready for? Scan and plan.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

Step number two, what do I or we need to respond to? So you've got an aware of the demands that are going to be made. And then step three, you can make sensible, proactive decisions around how can I plan in recovery moments? Yes. So you're there guilt-free because you know that you've got perspective actually it's going to be a full-on month ahead. So it's okay to um take that hour or take that five minutes. And Debs, I've just had a little idea, right? You know we love a bit of quirky merch.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

So where we've got our secrets from a coach Tea Tell.

SPEAKER_01:

We have got our secrets from a coach Tea Tell, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Debs, we've got to get ourselves a secrets from a coach jigsaw.

unknown:

Oh.

SPEAKER_01:

What if you and me, Laura, smiling?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And what about if one of the corners, Debs, we got one of your SAS men that you love?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh. We can build him foxing from the ground up.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh my god, yeah. We'll have a fox, we'll have some meditation moment for your coaching bit, Debs. Yeah. Oh, that's perfect. Daniel Craig, because you oh no, we could have we could have hand solo because of course we did that. So Star Wars we did.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Oh my god, I love it. Right, you're on that, right? We'll sort that out. Right.

SPEAKER_00:

So basically what we're doing is we're doing a calendar of hot men that we like, but we're dressing it up as a wellness uh merch.

SPEAKER_01:

Wellness merch that get you thinking, it gives you time to recover.

SPEAKER_00:

There's your two minutes of relaxation, private tongue, Debs.

SPEAKER_01:

So on that note, Law, should we have a look at number four?

SPEAKER_00:

Bring it on, Debs.

SPEAKER_01:

So number four is the most, I think, most the one important one is boundaries protect your best self. So we all know that um if we haven't got clear boundaries, then that energy will just leak out everywhere. Um, whether it's people pleasing or you know, overcommitting, I think boundaries are an act of self-respect, actually. And I was talking to somebody yesterday who has put some super, super clear boundaries in, and the difference it's made to her life is oh my god, immeasurable. So the fact that we can create, you know, putting great boundaries in is really important. So, Law, my question to you on this one is where are you currently saying yes when your energy and your values suggest a respectful no?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I know.

SPEAKER_01:

Because we say yes, don't we?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um right, here's one of the things I find a challenge is because I like to create an environment where people feel comfortable and relaxed and safe with me. Yes. What that can sometimes mean is if you've got an hour set aside for a team's catch-up or a Zoom call, they start to reveal some real hot and heavy stuff about 45 minutes in.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, they do.

SPEAKER_00:

So you've talked business, you've had a bit of chat, you said, Oh, how's it all going at the moment? And then these things. And then in your mind, you're looking at the clock going, Oh my god, right. Actually, this is some quite big conversation that just launched here, and we've got nine minutes until the advertisement's end of this call. So I sometimes find that a bit of a challenge, which is how to put the curtain on a pre-designated bit of conversation time. Um, because actually there's your heart saying there's someone here that, you know, has just disclosed, not massive info, but you know, they've just got into chat mode.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

They obviously haven't got a meeting that's booked after, whereas I might have.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So those are some of the moments where I do find it quite a challenge, actually, is how do you then still honour the integrity and the kindness of the care that is hugely important to me? Yes. And yet still somehow putting enough time boundaries so um, so you're not letting down the next person.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And I don't quite know. I mean, I guess simply it's putting in 15-minute buffers in between each call.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

But then that limits the amount of um, you know, potential sort of time. So yeah, that's that is when I was just responding first of reacting first of all to your question. That was the first thing that came to my mind.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's a really interesting one because it is about being able to restore your boundary and making sure you're keeping your energy well and that you're being your best self. And um, and I think that call to action would be around, you know, I can't do that until next week. Um, here's what I can offer. Um, if it's okay for today, could we focus in on this? Whatever that boundary could be in that moment could really help you just restore that harmony back into your energy and you know, because you're protecting yourself well rather than you know, go from there. So, yeah, because I know that's your fourth one, isn't it? Of our R's.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and actually just linking onto that. That's the benefit of step one ready, because you could do it on a day-by-day basis. What's let me scan and plan the day ahead, respond what's going to be demanded of me. And if you then see, oh yeah, we're two o'clock, oh yeah, I know they've got some stuff going on at the moment. Yeah, you can then put the third R in, which is your recovery, which is actually let me already pre-adjust that thing that's afterwards, or send a message saying, Um, I've got a hard end, you know, at three o'clock or whatever, yeah. Conscious that we might have a conversation that goes on a bit, we can always find at least start the conversation and find some time. And then the fourth one then is restore. So the fourth um R of the four R's, which is apparently a tool that many crisis management teams around the world use. If you've got the type of job that every time you put a uniform on and go out on shift, you're just dealing with stuff and it's never ending, then how can we apply that same protective um set of phases to almost create artificial phases so it doesn't feel like it's gruelling, never-ending, and potentially burn out that energy. And the fourth stage then is what do I want to get out of this next three months? So, what do I want to get individually so I can feel restored at the end of the three months? It might be full on, but this is how I'm gonna balance that give and the get. It works really well from a team perspective. If you've got a team that are just flagging a bit, and then it's you know, as well as what's been demanded of us from the organisation, what do we want to achieve as a team? And it just means there's that balance, that um reciprocity of we're gonna give out this energy, but also this is what we're gonna get. And it could be self-development, it could be the buzz of helping others, it could be the camaraderie and the fun of working together as a team, yeah, it could be the dopamine hit from being able to tick stuff off and feel satisfied. So, whatever is your particular kind of uh thing that gives you the sizzle, but that fourth stage restore, what are we gonna get? What am I gonna get?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, lovely. I love that. So I'm gonna add the fifth one in, Laura, which actually, as you've been talking through the four R's, maybe we should add a fifth R anyway about review. Um, so shall we have a listen as to what the fifth one is?

SPEAKER_00:

Bring it on.

SPEAKER_01:

So, Laura, the fifth one is celebrate progress to create the power. Um because we're saying that again, Debs. Celebrate progress to create the power.

SPEAKER_00:

Get it in there because we know that piece right there, Debs.

SPEAKER_01:

So if we were to have in, let's review have we and do we and are we celebrating our successes because that creates the motivation, the energy to keep going. Um, it builds confidence, it gives you the resilience because you've reviewed where you've come from and you're you're giving that acknowledgement recognition for what you're doing. So um, and I think when you celebrate anything, even the smallest thing, um, it can really help with the that positive emotion, a recharge um the energy for the next challenge coming along. So, my question to you, Law, is tell me, what have you achieved or navigated well this month that deserves acknowledgement before you rush on to the next thing? Give me one thing.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, it's a challenge to think for myself, Debs, the amount of chat GPTing I've been doing. So just bear with me, caller. Your Arthur's working overtime. Oh my word. Well, I mean, actually, that is something to celebrate. I have put myself on a mission to ask as many people as possible, how do you use AI? What are you doing? And it is quite, and I'm just viewing it as a bit of a game. So rather than getting too caught up with, oh, it's gonna go for this job and go for that job, I'm looking, all right, well, sort of saddle up buttercup because it's here. Like, how are other people kind of using it? So I think to celebrate, I've had um some one I do actually think I've balanced it quite well this month, and I do it with colours. I mean, I'm such an old school geek, Debs. I've made 21 packers a time each week. I've got my highlighter, um, pink is family, yellow is for fun, green is business development, blue is wellness, and orange is my money colour, so that's where I'm you know doing business, and um, it's been quite a nice little rainbow this month. So um so I'm I'm pleased with with that balancing, and that has required a couple of assertive yeses or no's, and a bit less alcohol than the month before. That's the main thing.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that. So I just think that that's because even though you've said it, they're actually like those little small wins, aren't they? And um, and it's making sure, I suppose that would be my call to action around this last one is you know, write down those three wins. It's what am I grateful for? What have I achieved today? You know, write them down, um, however, however small. And I think they're big because, and then sharing them, which like you've shared with us and of people listening in or watching in, um, who will go, yeah, keep going. You know, that cheer you on because then you'll know you're doing it well and your energy will feel better. Um, because you know, it does, if you get it right, it supports all of you, as we say, you know, from the four cornerstones of being a human, your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. So it just enables you to feel stronger, like you were saying right at the beginning. It helps build relationships well, it gives you the capacity to thrive rather than just cope with what's going on around you. Um, but yeah, I think it enables you to have strength and optimism and a great presence for the next thing you're walking into. So, yeah, that was that was my um my call to action is celebrate those wins. Really super important. So we've done five, Law. How do you feel now? Back on safe ground now with the uh summary.

SPEAKER_00:

Um but you know, I've what I what I've really enjoyed about um just sort of preparing for this and thinking about that four hours is you don't have to pretend everything is great when it's not. It is okay to think, my god, this is a full-on kind of month. But it's been able to recognise then those months which are less full-on. So on a bigger perspective, year on year, it's feeling a bit more kind of um smooth than maybe each rough month if you're going through a bit of time. And I guess our intention behind this first and our four-part focus looking at um reset and refueling in terms of that energy, energy refuel and reset. So this one was around how do I keep strong for the long run? And I'm really looking forward to taking this equivalent big picture, small practical takeaways for our next one, Debs, which is what happens if the tank starts to feel empty. And I'm thinking, do you know what? I don't know if I can even put a smile on my face for this because I'm so done in terms of my level of motivation. Yeah, I'm gonna have a look at some practical ways. So we're not masking, but it is where we are asking of ourselves how we're gonna kind of thrive through it because you're the storyline that is from beginning to end of a career, and to channel our workmate, um, Matt, who works uh with one of our clients, is you've got to work harder on yourself than your job because jobs will come and go, even though it's a huge part of our identity, but you're the one that is the common theme for the long run.

SPEAKER_01:

So you must, must, must, must look after your energy, right? Because you don't want to be one of those 91% of adults reporting high extreme or pressure in the in the year to come. So so important. Let's make sure, let's take that stat down for next year.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, please. Yes, please.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, it's been so cool. I loved it. And thank you for going with me, Law, on the five points, not three. So, and sharing your your career, your practical tips as well on what how you do it. Because I think it's really invaluable to um to hear it from a human that yeah, we all we all have this experience and we all have our ways of navigating it. So, yeah, fingers crossed, you know, hopefully somebody's picked up something that you do that they might go. I'm gonna find out how she does that, and I'm gonna drop her an email and um let get some more info from from her. So reach out to Laura if you want some more.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Oh, we could we could co-work on a jigsaw together. That would be magic. And that I think would be my share the secret from this dips, which is we all do it a slightly different way, which is why we're not AI, we're not robots, you do you, and whatever way gives you a bit of a lift and gives you a bit of a buzz, then then put then put that in because work isn't supposed to be 24, 7, 3, 6, 5 days a year. No one is able to do that. But if it is all starting to feel a bit oh gruelling, then look for the little moments for that for that spark. So if you've had a friend who is just looking a little bit knackered and it's not a one-off, it's becoming quite regular, get them to listen to this. It's absolutely okay to put yourself first because your duty of care starts with you because you're you're you're a people as well. So um love that. Yeah, looking forward to our conversation next week, Debs.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, have a good energy-fuelled week and um see you next week.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, thanks for those questions. They were brilliant, Debs. Thank you. All right, Lord, anytime.

SPEAKER_01:

Love you, love you. Bye.

SPEAKER_00:

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