Be In Tune With Your Star Player
In his 2008 comedy special, Katt Williams declared--in the most hilarious way possible--"you got to be in tune with your star player." The star player he was referring to is (wait forrrr it)...YOU.
It has become pretty standard for NBA coaches to rest their team's star player(s) in order to avoid injury, or to have them rested up and ready for the final stretch of the season. I think the most appropriate example to cite is San Antonio Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich. Popovich somewhat spearheaded the trend of routinely resting the aging and standout players on the team's roster--the most notable player being recently retired NBA legend, Tim Duncan.
Back in 2012 when the San Antonio Spurs played the Philadelphia 76ers, the box score even stated that Tim Duncan did not play because he was "OLD" (See picture of box score; DND = "Did Not Dress"). Players and coaches alike have been vocal advocates of shortening the NBA season, as the grueling schedule takes a toll on players and increases the risk of injury.
We live in a day and age where everyone is constantly on the go. We spend more time on "work" than we do on ourselves. We work tirelessly in order to reach a certain level of success--all at the expense of our well-being.
Yet, we fail to realize--or maybe we do and just choose to ignore it--that we have to take care of ourselves first before we can be of any value to anyone else, to an entity, or to society. Too many of us are walking around seemingly in tact externally, all the while being internally broken. It is imperative to take as much time for yourself as you spend on everyone and everything else.
In recent weeks, I had been running myself into the ground, juggling a variety of different things. I was burned out, but I ignored what my body was telling me. As a result, my health and my productivity declined. I knew I had to make the conscious decision to just be still. So, that's what I did.
I disconnected from the world so that I could reconnect with myself. I deleted social media apps off of my phone. I didn't write any new blog posts. I took much needed sick days off from work to recover from a bad cold. And I binge watched Breaking Bad and Stranger Things 2 without feeling guilty about it. I took the time to get in tune with my star player. I had, what I like to call, a few minutes of fame with myself. By doing this I was not only able to restore my health, but also my peace of mind, and my enjoyment with life. It helped me get back to a state where I could be productive and perform at the level that I know I am capable of performing at.
Get in tune with your star player. Maintain a healthy balance of work, rest, and recreation. Don't wait until your body or mind begins to shuts down before you decide to do so. Your health--mental, physical, spiritual and emotional--should be at the top of your priority list. What good are you if you are sickly, stressed out, emotionally unstable, and unaligned with your body and mind?
You may not be in a position to take extravagant or lengthy vacations, but taking an hour or a day to yourself to do absolutely nothing or to do something you truly enjoy will certainly suffice. What truly matters is that you do something for yourself every once in a while. Treat yourself, don't cheat yourself.
There is no weakness in resting. Remember, God rested after He finished His Work. Embrace the fact that you need to unplug, recharge, and refresh. You shouldn't feel guilty about doing things for yourself either. Taking care of yourself is essential to having long-term success and ultimately living a happy and fulfilling life.
Continue to work hard for what you want, but also find ways to work smarter. Just because you are "on the grind" or a card-carrying member of #TeamNoSleep does not mean you will automatically produce results. Don't just be a busy body because it sounds good or looks good and then end up having nothing to show for your efforts. Find ways to improve productivity without it being at the expense of your well-being.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. In order to sustain yourself for the long run, you have to take some time to unplug, refresh, and recharge. If not, you will be no good to yourself, and if you are no good to yourself, then you are no good to your goals, nor to the world. As one of my favorite books--The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho--states, "Rest a little, but as soon as you can carry on. Because ever since your goal found out that you were traveling toward it, it has been running to meet you."
