Mind Over Mellitus

With the new year still fresh, if you’re like me you’re thinking about all you want to accomplish and learn, how you can improve yourself, and what dreams to pursue. It’s so easy to get swept away with inspiration. It feels like there is a big, empty year out there waiting to be filled!

Being overly enthusiastic and ambitious can also wreak havoc. There have been times in my life where I simply took on too much, and the biggest toll was my integrity - in fulfilling my commitments; in maintaining my health; and in cultivating my happiness.

In business school for example I co-created a new class on product development, worked on my team senior thesis project, worked on launching a software company and competed in a major business plan competition, and co-lead the outreach program for community involvement one quarter. In short, I was irresponsible by taking on more than I could be responsible for.

Everything turned out, but only because my thesis project team picked up slack that I should have - which was rotten of me, though entirely unintentional. It didn’t matter. They inherited some of my responsibility. They suffered and they resented it.

The product development class was decent, but could have been great. What a let-down.

I was constantly stressed, sleep-deprived, on a blood glucose roller coaster, not exercising, feeling overwhelmed and aggravated. I was not who I knew I could be.

My HBA1c, which is the best measure of long-term glucose control went up 1.2%. (Note: Each 1% rise in HBA1c increases the likelihood of kidney damage, heart disease, and retinopathy by 25-40%). So that’s MAJOR.

I vowed not to do that to myself and not to do that to others. The key is to make time for integrity.

I do less now, but I do it better. I leave time in my schedule to take care of the unexpected, but still keep my promises. Sure I take on fewer commitments at a time and get less done, but the returns on being the man I want to be are HUGE. And it fulfills me to have the people I care about know I’ll come through for them.