Does the Nail Hurt Bad Enough to Make a Change?

Hello Difference Makers!

You have been entrusted with a huge leadership role within your healthcare facility.   And, as a facility administrator, every single decision, choice, and action impacts your staff, residents, and their families.   While as a facility administrator, you wear many "hats" and juggle several "plates," to be the best possible leader you can be, there is one person you have to learn to lead first… YOURSELF.

As human beings, we are all self-leaders.  Let's face it!  Every single decision we make has an impact on our lives.
√ How we spend our time
√ The way we invest our money
√ Our diets and sleep patterns
√ Where we live & who we live with
√ What we watch on TV and listen to on the news

For example, if we choose to stay up late at night, we may show up to our facilities tired and unable to focus. If we do not hydrate ourselves and eat sugary foods, our stamina and energy levels are affected. If we do not plan out our week or are constantly running behind, we may feel on edge. Likewise, if our home is untidy, it impacts our overall mood and sense of accomplishment.

                              "Your outside world is a reflection of your inside world."

So, if your office, home, or car is cluttered, it also affects your emotional state. Have you ever walked into a kitchen with dirty dishes in the sink or a room with laundry that needs to be folded?  I bet the thought of completing that task drained your energy. 

Am I right? 

If your energy is drained, you will not have the energy to support others, whether it is your family, friends, staff, or facility residents.

The good news is…the opposite is true. 

Making diligent and intentional choices impacts our internal and external reality.  Just think, if you wake up with plenty of time to get ready, you will show up to work feeling prepared and ready for the day.  Likewise, when you plan out your meals for the week you'll probably not only eat better,  but you'll lighten the load for the rest of the week.

                              "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom" - Aristotle

Thankfully, we are all uniquely different, and there is no one-size-fits-all habit that "fixes" everything.  You have to know yourself enough to do what works for you.  Or, as we see it, set yourself up for success.   Are you a morning person, or do you work better in the evening?  Likewise, some individuals prefer to cluster their tasks together and do them all at once in order to reap the benefits throughout the week.  In the end, it is essential to do what works for you.

Truth be told, many outside forces keep us from following through on intended habits. Time, energy, and other people's opinions are three of the most significant outside forces leading people to break positive habits. 

In addition, it is also common for people not prioritize certain habits.   We often get stuck in what we like to call the "status quo."  It is when things in life seem to be going fine, but the discomfort level to change is greater than the pain of staying the same.

                                        In other words, the "nail does not hurt bad enough."

There is an old fable about Beau, the dog.  You see, Beau and his owner were sitting out on their front porch enjoying their daily newspaper and coffee when the neighbor stopped by to say hello.  He noticed that Beau was basking in the sun, yet he was moaning as he lay there sleeping.   The neighbor asked, What in the world is wrong with Beau."  The owner chuckled and said, "Oh, he is just laying on an old rusty nail that is poking through the board on the porch."  The neighbor replied, "Well, why doesn't he get up and move?"  His owner quickly responded and said, "You would think he would move, but the nail doesn't hurt bad enough."

This story is a mirror of many of our lives.   We all have nails that are poking us, but if they don't hurt enough, we stay in our comfort zones and never make a change.  Nails can come in many shapes and forms, such as…

√ The clutter around our homes 
√ Growing piles of laundry and dishes
√ The status of our health
√ The way we feel in our clothes
√ Our banking accounts or what we owe on our credit cards
√ The way we invest our time

The biggest question of all is: Does your nail hurt bad enough to change it or do something about it? Are you ready to make a different choice or create a different habit?

"If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got!"

Becoming an intentional leader in your own life is the first step toward success in all other areas, especially your career. In order to guide others toward change, you must consciously be aware of the actions & decisions that are being modeled.

This week, take some time to reflect on "nails" in your personal and work life. When, and only when, your "nails" hurt bad enough, you'll make the necessary changes to stop your current habit that no longer serves you.

Then, take a look at your daily routines that impact both you and your facility? What small differences can you make that will have a huge impact on your staff and residents?

Arriving at work earlier will kick your day off on the right foot. Is your office organized? Would you feel less on edge if you could find things at your fingertips? Do you need to invest in consulting to take the pressure and weight of difficult decisions off your shoulders? Do you find yourself procrastinating and pushing back deadlines because you feel overwhelmed?

Remember, whether at home or at work, the first person you lead is yourself. On top of that, as a facility administrator, everything you do makes a difference and has a trickle down effect.

   Choose to be that positive difference maker, and in return, you'll see a positive difference.