17 Red Flags for CEO Health
What red flags tell you things aren’t working?
That’s a question I ask myself every 6 months or so, life changes often so new answers emerge all the time.
Our brains are wired to take the most energy efficient path through life.
Even if our actions seem irrational they are there because our brain has deemed them the most energy efficient way of surviving the current environment.
What that means is that failure to answer the question in advance will cause us to justify, rationalise or ignore the things that aren’t working.
Putting up that red flag 🚩 in advance then puts us in a much more powerful position as we move through life.
Personally I would know that things aren’t working if:
1. I’m sleeping poorly, either finding it difficult to get to sleep, stay alseep or waking up tired.
2. If exercise has fallen out of my life in such a way that causes me to feel both low on energy but wired at the same time.
3. If I was eating in such a way that caused me to feel bloated, swollen or craving sugar.
4. If I was using my phone during family time being disengaged or distracted or even reactive because of it.
5. If I was working til 6 or 7pm every day and missing spending any time with my kids.
6. If my relationship with my wife had become transactional and all but free of intimacy, connection or even fun.
7. If I had too little energy on the weekend to get thing done, spend time with family and friends and do new things.
8. If I was finding myself avoiding new people or doing the important things that would move my business forward.
9. If I had become dependent upon caffeine, sugar and or alcohol to change my state in some way.
10. If I had become obsessively attached to my phone. Reading the news or scrolling endlessly or getting into emails first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
11. If I was feeling guilty about my failure to live up to my commitments to myself and others.
12. If I was dismissing my kids requests for time and attention in order to finish some work or get through this phase.
13. If I was pointing the finger at other people being the reason for my current sistuation.
14. If I was constantly holding onto a sense of stress or agitation and tension in my body.
15. If I couldn’t stop thinking about the future and what I needed to do in a way that prevented me from ever switching off.
16. If I was experiencing IBS symptoms, constipation or loose stool.
17. If I was experiencing joint pain
There are more but these are the big ones. The ones that appear when things most definitely AREN’T working.
When any of them appear in my life I know it’s time to pause and reflect.
To resist the temptation to justify or explain away but rather acknowledge that I am living a life I promised myself I wouldn’t for however brief a period of time.
What makes your list?
What are your red flags?
Any of the above 👆?