Cultivating sacred Daily rhythms in a crisis

As we seek to improve our leadership capacity with the goal of maximizing our ability to lead both inside and outside of a crisis, it is necessary to consider how we are cultivating sacred daily rhythms in our lives. The first step to doing this work is to understand that our lives happen in rhythms that occur each day, often without our conscious attention. Our habits, what we mentally attune to and think about,  and what we watch are all part of our daily rhythms that occur without us giving them much thought. The goal of cultivating sacred daily rhythms is to build upon our spiritual capacity by becoming more aligned with who we truly desire to be.

What does it look like to cultivate sacred daily rhythms as a leader both inside and outside of a crisis scenario? We will explore several strategies below that serve as mechanisms to draw more closely to our desired selves. 

What are sacred Daily Rhythms?

When considering sacred daily rhythms, it is important to note that our lives are the product of rhythms or habits that we have embraced along our journey. Sacred daily rhythms are spiritual practices that help us cultivate, over time, a life in closer alignment to our life rule or who we truly desire to become. Sacred daily rhythms include the rhythm of generosity, the rhythm of prayer and/or meditation, rhythms of engagement and withdrawal and rhythms of work and rest. Let's examine each of these rhythms, and what we can do on a daily basis to cultivate them as a leader.

• Rhythms of generosity: First, we should note that generosity does not tend to come naturally to us as humans. Generosity, in most circumstances, must be learned. A rhythm of generosity often begins with practices of kindness and gratitude, opening our hearts to want to give more generously. As a leader, we can truly give our constituents no greater gift than the gift of our time. To do this in a loving way, we should begin and end our days with a practice of gratitude to best prepare our hearts for the type of servant leadership necessary to lead both inside and outside of a crisis. If this rhythm does not yet come naturally to you, try this: Before you step out of bed each morning, think of three things that you are grateful for. As you brush your teeth, list another three. As you shutdown your work day, list three ore things that you are grateful for as a result of the day's work. Before you close your eyes at night, list three more. This simple spirit of gratitude will cultivate a natural generosity within your soul.
• Rhythms of prayer and/or meditation: Prayer is a pathway to experiencing greater intimacy with God and meditation is a way to experience greater intimacy with ourselves. Both practices can lead us toward greater spiritual capacity as leaders, directly impacting those we lead. These acts are not to be considered a performance that must be perfectly executed, but rather imperfect acts of intention to improve relationships with those powers we believe to be greater than us and within ourselves. In yesterday's post we mentioned several apps and resources that can support us in improving our spiritual capacity. These strategies can foster a sense of inner peace which can better prepare us for the daily turmoil in our jobs as leaders.
• Rhythms of engagement and withdrawal: We are talking much more than just extroverted and introverted behaviors as we consider our daily rhythms of engagement and withdrawal. We know that we cannot give to others when our own cups are depleted, and thus, considering how and when we choose to engage versus withdrawal is critical to us leaders. Withdrawal is not necessary disconnection, but rather, reconnecting with yourself void of outside influence. This can be cultivated by a quiet morning ritual, such as executing the steps of the Miracle Morning or by intentionally scheduling a brief walk or 15-minute break in the middle of your busy day. In order to best serve our constituents, we must, at times, withdrawal. This will allow us to re-engage more effectively as our cups have been refilled. 
• Rhythms of work and rest: Similar to rhythms of engagement and withdrawal, we must also be cautious to honor rhythms of work and rest. This goes for our daily rhythm as well as our weekly rhythm. It is good for a leader to dig in and work hard and do the difficult work, but it is also good for a leader to retreat and rest when that good work is complete. Honoring a daily shutdown routine can held a leader transition for a day of work to an evening at home. Bedtime rituals further support a rhythm of daily rest. Try to designate one day each weekend as a day of rest from work and household chores. Our lives are meant to be lived in community and we cannot give attention to our community without a strong rhythm of acceptable work and rest. Modeling this for your constituents is key to their own thriving.
  

Cultivating sacred daily rhythms can propel us forward as leaders when the going gets tough. If rituals and rhythms are established pre-crisis, we are better able to honor them when a crisis occurs. Further, modeling these rhythms for our teams makes it more likely that they are also engaging in these appropriate self-care strategies. Remember, our team is only as strong as the weakest link. When our teams are stronger, we are better together.

Linger a Little Longer: 
1. What daily rhythms do you unconsciously cultivate that you wish to change?
2. What sacred daily rhythm can support you in the response above?
3, What sacred daily rhythm can you commit to modeling for your team?