Enter the Belly of the Whale
I am about to undergo knee surgery which will result in taking about 5 weeks off work for the recovery process. It’s scary for several reasons, but mainly because I’m not great at slowing down when it comes to work. It got me thinking about the “busy” badge of honor so many of us wear, myself included.
During the pandemic we saw our clients slow down. Some of that was forced of course, but some of it was simply a greater level of care and concern for self and others. Recently, though, it seems that the culture of busyness is creeping back into our lives. I’ve observed this lately with coaching clients who are navigating an unmanageable volume of emails on a daily basis, searching for or onboarding new employees, or ramping up business efforts. It seems that busy has reemerged as the norm.
Recently a leader, we’ll call her Tina, shared that she has been struggling to make time for the people who report to her. She explained that she is often so focused on all the work on her own desk that she finds herself exasperated when her team comes to her with questions. She admitted to secretly hoping for her 1:1 meetings with them to wrap early so she might have more time for her other work. Maybe most concerning, Tina described being distracted (which translates to ineffective) during her meetings with the team, thinking constantly about the growing to do list on her desk.
The top priority for leaders of people is to lead the people, so while Tina’s struggles are concerning, they aren’t surprising given how she has succumbed to the seduction of busy.
To re-engage as a fully present leader and to battle her busyness, Tina has committed to a plan that includes task prioritization, time management, and revisiting the priorities of her job as a leader. Reinstituting thoughtful and proactive work habits is a process, and Tina is committed to implementing practices that help her say no to the busy.
A kind friend recently shared the following poem to encourage me to appreciate my upcoming mandatory slow down. During COVID we didn’t choose to slow down, many of us were forced to, and my upcoming recovery will be the same. Paying it forward, I was inspired to share this poem with Tina, not because she is being forced to slow down, but to invite her to enter the belly of the whale, that is, to slow down, be present, and experience the moment.
“Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale”
Dan Albergotti
Measure the walls. Count the ribs. Notch the long days.
Look up for blue sky through the spout. Make small fires
with the broken hulls of fishing boats. Practice smoke signals.
Call old friends, and listen for echoes of distant voices.
Organize your calendar. Dream of the beach. Look each way
for the dim glow of light. Work on your reports. Review
each of your life’s ten million choices. Endure moments
of self-loathing. Find the evidence of those before you.
Destroy it. Try to be very quiet, and listen for the sound
of gears and moving water. Listen for the sound of your heart.
Be thankful that you are here, swallowed with all hope,
where you can rest and wait. Be nostalgic. Think of all
the things you did and could have done. Remember
treading water in the center of the still night sea, your toes
pointing again and again down, down into the black depths.
My wish for you dear readers as we enter the upcoming holiday season is that you resist the allure of the busy and instead choose to spend some time in the belly of the whale. Slow down and savor the moments. Be present for your team, for your colleagues, for your family and friends. I promise I will try to do the same.
