At work, we are constantly reminded about things that need to be renewed.
Mandatory training needs renewing. Qualifications need updating. Certificates expire. Equipment needs servicing. Buildings need maintaining.
We accept all of that because we understand that things cannot just keep going forever without some attention.
But what about us?
We go to work, deal with problems, meet deadlines, answer calls and carry responsibilities. Then we get up the next day and do it again.
Sometimes we become so used to the routine that we don’t notice how much of ourselves we are using.
Renewing yourself doesn’t have to mean making a huge change to your life.
For me, it can be something as simple as walking. Getting outside. Going somewhere different. Training. Travelling. Spending time with people I enjoy being around. Or just doing something I actually like without thinking about work.
I also think there is a difference between resting and renewing yourself.
You can sit at home all weekend and technically have rested, but still wake up on Monday feeling exactly the same.
Sometimes what renews us is movement. Sometimes it’s a change of surroundings. Sometimes it’s doing something we haven’t done for a while. Sometimes it’s simply giving ourselves permission to enjoy something without needing it to achieve anything.
In construction, we wouldn’t expect a building, a machine or a piece of equipment to perform indefinitely without maintenance.
Eventually something will start to wear.
Yet we can expect that from ourselves.
Maybe renewing ourselves should be treated with some of the same importance as everything else we are required to renew.
Not because a certificate says we have to.
Because sometimes we need it.
And perhaps the question isn’t always, when did I last take some time off?
Maybe it’s:
When did I last do something that made me feel renewed?
Life. Construction. Legacy.
Thoughts on life through construction and the built environment.
Marlon Amele MCIOB
Founder of BuildionX
Marlon Amele | Life. Construction. Legacy. 