Directive #1: Recharge vs. Discharge

In our story, the young CEO Roger is giving all his best energy, focus, and attention to his business. He is constantly working in the company, and even when he is at home and not at the company physically, his thoughts and concerns are.

He is always expending energy, doing the work necessary to keep the business afloat. He rarely, if ever takes time off. And he certainly does not get away from the company or his responsibilities as its CEO long enough to re-energize himself, or to refresh himself to gain new ideas or perspectives on the challenges he has- at work and at home.

He has not established any hobbies or activities where he can think about anything other than the problems in his company. It is no wonder his wife and children feel abandoned.

Fortunately for Roger, Bob teaches him the importance of slowing down, getting away from the problems he faces, and simply relax.

Roger's life and the realities of it reflect our own.

Life and business are getting tougher and tougher. Product life cycles are getting shorter and shorter. Competition is stiff, and getting more fierce and relentless each day- as it seeks to gain what we have worked so long to achieve- and want to take what we are working so hard to keep.

Demands for innovation and new efficiencies increase each and every day. The line between success and failure is getting more and difficult to define. We are bombarded with technology and devices constantly demanding our time and attention- email, cell phones, fax machines, the internet, text messaging, pending deadlines, quotas, it goes on and on.

It has been said that with all the information we have at our fingertips today, we are exposed to more data in a single day than someone living a hundred years ago would have received in their entire lifetime!

Our minds and bodies are continually at work. The picture of our life is like that of a treadmill that just won't stop. No matter how much we work, there is always more to be done. Regardless of our best efforts, there is always a need for improvement. Even when we reach peak performance, there is someone looking over our shoulder hoping to better us.

Everything and everybody is demanding our time, effort, and attention. Our jobs and careers demand our best energy, ideas, and creativity. Our spouses expect (and deserve) our undivided loyalty, love, and priority. Our children need us to invest significant time in them, teaching the basic skills of life, and instilling character and integrity in them.

People are caught up in the "rat race" of life, always trying to "get ahead," whatever that means. We are afraid that if we do not push ourselves to the brink of collapse, we will somehow fall behind- fall behind others seeking to obtain the same things we are working for-fall behind another country or region of the world if we slow down even for a moment-fall behind others within our own family or company and that they will move right past us in life.

Let's face it- we can all use a little rest. We could all stand to get a bit more sleep. And who among us would not benefit from having the opportunity to simply slow down and enjoy some of the "fruit of our labor?"

And let's just for a moment imagine a life where we slow down long enough to really think. To tap into our creativity that has been placed there by God Himself. To explore new ideas and possibilities.

How can this happen you might ask?

Simply by applying Directive #1 - "Recharge vs. Discharge."

Without question, a crucial aspect of "re-charging" is maintaining a positive mental outlook and focus on life.

One of the biggest reasons so many people get "burnt out," is because they are constantly "discharging" their energy in pursuit of working and "striving" for more in life.

More money…more possessions…more respect…more square footage…more leg room…more…more… more.

Where does all this discontent come from? It's like people are always wanting more- but never happy when they get it!

As the old saying goes, "What does the dog do when he finally catches the car?" Most people are so busy rushing from one activity to the other, from one responsibility to the next, that they find it nearly impossible to just take the time to "stop and smell the roses," and enjoy the fruit of their labor.

Most people are so busy "making a living" that they never really "make a life." The Directive "Recharge vs. Discharge" is a very critical discipline for high energy, fast charging, peak-performance individuals- perhaps such as yourself.

In his best-selling book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey indicates how important it is to "sharpen the saw" every so often. No reasonable person would attempt to cut down a forest of trees without ever stopping to go back and sharpen the very tool being used to get the job done.

And yet, unfortunately that is exactly how many people live their lives.

They remain in high gear, constantly in the mode of "producing results."

They get up very early, getting themselves ready for work, and their children for school, then head to their job each day, where they endlessly discharge their best energy and efforts to gain a promotion or bonus, rush home to throw down some dinner (or grab fast food on the way), chauffeur their kids off to sports or other activities two or three nights a week, get home late, quickly checking the homework due the next day, stay up to catch the evening news or watch their favorite TV show, get to bed late, only to get up and do it all again the next day.

Recharge vs. Discharge is about taking the time to get away from it all- if only for short periods of time, so that an opportunity exists to put "fuel in the tank" physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.

Imagine the thought of driving a car, and never taking the time to stop and refill the tank with gasoline! And yet, that is exactly how too many of us live our lives today.

Rest, renewal, and refreshment is critical for every human being- in fact, it is so important that God Himself modeled this upon completing the creation of the world.

In Exodus 34:21, God tells the Israelites, "You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest."

So even in times of maximum productivity, we are to take some time off to charge the emotional, mental, and spiritual batteries.

Think about how and when you have some of your best ideas? It is very likely that your best creativity and fresh thinking happens in moments when you are not busy at work on a specific task. Perhaps you are reading a book when a new thought hits you that gives you direction regarding an issue or challenge you are facing. Maybe you are on a walk when suddenly a problem that has plagued you for so long, suddenly seems like no big deal- you suddenly have a solution. Or, while simply closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, you receive inspiration to forge ahead against what seems like impossible odds.

I know for myself, some of my best thoughts and solutions to my problems occur while I am tending my garden. There seems to be great inspiration in simply putting my hands in the dirt, and contemplating my issues from various perspectives.

Why is it so hard to make ourselves stop and rest?

Why is it so difficult to truly apply Psalm 46:10, which reads "Be still, and know that I am God."

Why do we seem to feel like the world will stop on its axis if we are not doing something every moment of the day?

The Directive of "Recharge vs. Discharge" is concerned with us exercising the discipline of rest- refreshing our minds, souls, and bodies.