Meta Awareness

As professionals (whatever is your profession), our professions require different skills, readiness (mental/physical/emotional/spiritual), etc. to be in peak performance mode.
And time to time the environmental changes (slow or sudden), changes the requirements of operating as a high performing professional.
The success of operating at the very best depends on how aware you are as a professional to adapt, train, and retrain for dynamic changes.

In 2020, suddenly due to COVID lockdown, all physical assignments changed to virtual assignments. It required a different level of skill, and adaptability to operate and excel. Many professionals (specifically coaches and trainers), I am aware of could not sustain, as they could not cope up with technological changes of operating in virtual environments, even if they did, in a few months online fatigue hit them, and they could not continue. And meanwhile, while waiting for physical assignments, which came after 1.5/2 years, the waiting time had deteriorated their energy levels, cognitive/emotional readiness, and some trainers lost the enthusiasm to continue as coaches and trainers.

Before COVID, I used to facilitate 7 days workshops (8:30 am - 6 pm), 3 times in a month in Bangalore/Dubai/Mumbai/Delhi. 3/4 times in a year straight 15 and 20 days bootcamps. The facilitation itself was a rigorous physical activity (best cardio 😎), kept me in a good peak performance condition, and any other form of exercise was not required.

Enter 2020, physical programs stopped, and work changed into virtual mode. For two years the mode of operating required technological changes, and sitting for long hours. Exercise routine/diet change/meditation were required to cope up with the requirements, which I did, and I managed myself well (so I thought).

Enter 2022, the first physical program after 2 years was in Dubai, even thought I assumed I was ready (physically, mentally, emotionally), but the requirement which was entire day facilitation, was so different than 2 years of 3 hours of daily zoom. I realised I was so not prepared physically/cognitively/emotionally. By the end of the day, everyday, my energy levels, were practically zero. And I had to sleep for 9 hours to be ready for the next day.

It took be 5/6 months to be in peak readiness (physically, mentally, emotionally) for virtual, blended, or physical workshops, the readiness included Blended strength/stamina training, as if I have to run 100 meters (same training which I used to do when I was a champion in track and field events during school/college) or run a marathon. Meditating like a monk. Eating like a top athelete. Sleeping and resting daily like an 80 year old (And it is still not enough). Earlier, I used to tell myself, I will survive and facilitate an entire day session with 4 hours of sleep, now I tell myself, I will thrive and be in super state with atleast 8 hours of sleep, anything extra is bonus.

It took me a while to understand, adapt, and develop a new narrative around my own mental, physical, and emotional requirement to adapt, grow, be ready, and be in a state of peak performance, for ongoing (a mix depending on the requirement) nature of work.

What are you doing to manage your requirements, or keeping yourself in peak performing state?

Here are some reflections for you to consider to be the champion in your profession:

• How aware are you of changing requirements of your profession?
• How do you prepare for changes?
• What are your beliefs around professional changes?
• What is your commitment to adapt, train, and retrain for continued success?
• What are you willing to do, let go to enable yourself to excel more, excel again, or continued success?
• What narrative do you tell yourself about work?
• What are your non negotiable rules for your readiness?
• How do you manage your stressors, and what strengths do you tap into to manage them?
• How do your power up your day/week/month/year?
• What is your routine to manage your motivation, passion, dreams, etc?