Has it ever happened to you that, after a period of really intense work or study, once you finish that critical project or exam, or maybe at the start of a holiday, your body says “that´s it” and you fall exhausted or ill?
That´s how life lets us know when our current pace is not sustainable.
Esto es algo que a mí me ha pasado varias veces, por suerte de manera cada vez más suave, porque ya voy aprendiendo a escuchar las señales. Señales como por ejemplo un catarro o un dolor de garganta que aparecen curiosamente el viernes por la tarde, cuando la semana laboral ya ha terminado y mi cuerpo sabe que se lo puede permitir…
In the software development world, and increasingly in other work environments, many companies follow Agile methodologies, which are based on moving forward and getting results quickly by leveraging an iterative work process, while continuously adapting to change. And a key success factor for those methodologies is that the “moving forward” happens at a pace that can be maintained in the long term, in other words, that is sustainable, in theory indefinitely. Because it has become clear that moving too fast for too long ends up negatively impacting the team.
This sustainable pace que las empresas buscan para sus equipos se aplica también individualmente a cada persona, y es responsabilidad de cada uno de nosotros el conseguirlo. Al fin y al cabo, tanto en el trabajo como en la vida, la lista de cosas por hacer es infinita, nunca se acaba… En realidad es una carrera de fondo, mucho más parecida a una maratón que a una carrera de cien metros, así que la mejor estrategia es ir dosificando las fuerzas, y si alguna vez tenemos que correr más rápido durante un rato, después habrá que ir más despacio otro ratito, o incluso parar, para poder recuperarnos.
But even though this seems pretty easy to understand, we often forget about it. Why? Maybe because we don´t realize it´s a long-distance race, and we only see the 100 metres in front of us. Or maybe because we´re so engrossed in the race that we forget to stop for a moment and listen to ourselves, pay attention to how we feel, and what our body is trying to tell us.
I love this quote that says that life first whispers to you, if you don´t listen, it talks to you, and if you still don´t listen, it screams at you. Setting aside a little time for ourselves every day, without distractions, and really listening to ourselves, will help us to identify those whispers before they become screams.
What about you? How are you making sure you maintain a sustainable pace?