You know your battery needs recharging when ….

A few weeks ago I made a quick stop to Whole Foods on the way home from my doctor’s appointment.

Things did not go as planned.

After loading my groceries and purse (containing my car keys and iPhone) into the car, my FOB chose that moment to lock me out – which is not supposed to happen with a BMW – during one of the hottest summer days.

Unbeknown to me, my FOB battery died.

Then, my Apple watch battery suddenly died, too, just as I was calling AAA to rescue me.

While waiting for AAA, I reflected on 5 lessons learned from this experience:

1. Prioritize Prevention

• You never know when a system will fail…until it does.
• Many people don’t take charge of their health until after a crisis such as a heart attack, being diagnosed with pre-diabetes, well on the road to obesity etc.
• Just like my FOB battery that needed to be replaced, it’s important to know when your energy is running low and you’re in need of a re-charge.

2. Manage and Balance Energy

Keep your battery – your mind and body – constantly charged by taking micro-breaks throughout your workdays and meeting days. Schedule them in if you have to!

3. Recognize that Car Care is like Self-Care

When it comes to car maintenance, too many women depend on the men in their lives to handle it. I know I always called my husband when I had car problems, and he would take care it. This time, however, he was in Hawaii, so I was on my own. I realized that it was time to take car ownership and maintenance more seriously; I needed to become self-reliant rather than depend on someone else to rescue me.

It’s just like having an Emergency Preparedness Plan: We have to be ready for a crisis before it happens.

On this day, I did not have all the necessary phone numbers – BMW Assist, AAA, my car repair guy – at my fingertips. Everything was stored in my iPhone. Which was locked in my car.

4. Prioritize Presence over Panic

You can’t always control the onset of situations and events, but you can control the way you respond to them.

I actually rejoiced in not having a phone to distract me. Instead, I stayed grounded and calm. I enjoyed the time to just be alone with myself. I used that time to relax, journal and outline this email :)

5. Appreciate Kindness and Gratitude

I met such nice people in Whole Foods parking lot! One woman and her son helped me out by calling AAA for me, then they kept checking in with me in the parking lot to give me AAA messages and ETA updates.

Someone else lent me a pen so I could write in my journal and outline this post.

Another person gave me a spare mask for my ride home in the AAA tow truck.

I am grateful for the kindness and support I received. So many people came up to me to ask me how they could help and whether there was something more they could offer me.

Keeping your battery charged and ready to go prepares you for anything life might toss your way. If you’re looking for ways to incorporate re-charging practices into your meetings, workdays and virtual/hybrid events, I can help you revitalize, engage and energize your audiences’ collective battery.

My brain and body breaks and byte-size wellness activities are available in a stand-alone portal (The Virtual Wellness Lounge) or can be included and broadcasted inside your meeting agenda and on your conference platform. Just like a FOB battery, re-charging helps everyone be at their best, ready to work hard and absorb your content.

Let’s talk! Click HERE to book a Zoom meeting with me.

Stay well,