Twenty years ago, I was working for a pharmaceutical company that had recently introduced the value of work-life balance into our culture. At the time, I was dragging my feet to get behind this change. Of course, I wanted a more enriching life instead of being consumed by my work. But it was a challenge for me to rewire my brain. Not only was this a foreign concept, it was the complete opposite of what had been celebrated as I climbed the corporate ladder. I had been promoted on a yearly basis for being a workhorse—the type of person who would invest evenings, weekends, and holidays to get the job done.

Suddenly, that same “grind” approach was the topic of my performance evaluation because I wasn’t modeling work-life balance for my team. I was encouraged to get a hobby that would help me lean into this new leadership style. I decided to take acting classes to develop my presentation skills but mostly to get my manager off my back.

Acting demanded that we be present in the moment. It was a master class in mindfulness, a skill that would forever change the course of my life. Little did I know that I would lean into work-life balance to such an extent that this experience would be the catalyst for quitting my job and reevaluating my entire life, including my career choice.

Today I run a leadership development firm that helps other executives and organizations ditch the grind mentality and begin the transformative journey of unlearning. Here are five nuggets I initially resisted that are now the cornerstone of this reimagined path of excellence:

EMBRACING WORK-LIFE BALANCE MAKES ME MORE PRESENT

Mindfulness isn’t always commended for enabling high performance. When we take the time to slow down, we become aware of our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. We’re much more in tune with ourselves and with others. That’s where the idea for the P.O.C.A. Model for Change was born. Inspired by the Spanish word for “small,” this framework, which has been used with thousands of leaders in our practice, underscores the importance of taking those incremental steps that can have a large impact. The acronym stands for Pause, Observe, Choose, and Act, where pause is the first necessary step to exercise our emotional intelligence, particularly in today’s fast-paced world.

In order for us to be more willing to pause, we need to acknowledge that it is normal for our brain to resist it. It requires conscious effort to unlearn the habit of moving quickly. This creates the space to become the observer of your own beliefs and behaviors, which can prompt leaders to objectively see all of their unhealthy habits. I routinely ask myself, “What did I once learn that is no longer supportive of who I want to be now?” The practice of discernment—to be able to choose new behaviors that are more conducive to cultivating a healthy workplace—is the first step to unlocking employee excellence.

IT REVS UP MY CREATIVITY

I often hear from leaders that there is no time to allow the mind to wander because every minute is overscheduled. When I hear this, I’m reminded of another belief that I held for a very long time as a workaholic. I used to equate “doing nothing” as laziness. And that’s because I was taught to be a busy bee and that badge of honor was baked into my self-worth.

This grind was counterintuitive to my training as a scientist. There is overwhelming data that shows the brain needs rest and play to be creative. Still, it can be challenging for leaders to recognize the value of rest and play in creating a culture of excellence. Post pandemic, some organizations were leaning into the four-day workweek to incorporate this as a best practice. Others argued to go back to “the way it used to be.” It’s so easy for all of us to fall back into our default comfort zone even if it causes us harm.

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to take a walk in the middle of the day or to simply gaze out the window? Or maybe plan to take a longer shower as a vehicle for great insights. My go-to activity to grease the creative wheel is playing music that instantly uplifts my mood and inspires a burst of ideas.

I AM MORE INTENTIONAL WITH MY TIME

With continuous advances in technology and the uptake of artificial intelligence, organizations are going through change at a faster rate than most of us can adapt. As such, it’s common to have leaders share with me that their day-to-day is spent putting out fires. That constant state of reactivity is so common that it can bleed into a normalized undercurrent of the workplace culture. Add to that the constant loop of meetings, and it can feel like you’re Bill Murray, unable to escape the merry-go-round of Groundhog Day.

The incentive to develop the habit of blocking off time on your calendar for reflection is that this will lead to fewer and fewer fires. You will also start to feel a shift in the energy of your workplace because the frenzy will be replaced with a grounded steadiness. Not only does the culture shift but productivity increases, mistakes decrease, and morale improves. But that means unlearning our natural inclination to give into our reactive, firefighting tendencies and to choose to be more intentional with our time.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE FOSTERS COLLABORATION

When we practice being present, resting, and carving out time to think, we are more likely to be open to different perspectives and to navigating conflict—necessary for successful collaboration. Leaders need to acknowledge both their strengths and weaknesses to best leverage diversity of thought. This mindset also enhances our appreciation for complementary skill sets. One recommendation is for leaders to discuss this with their teams. The goal is to cultivate a sense of gratitude for the unique gifts that each person brings to the table, and to highlight that there’s no need for everyone to be good at everything. This intentionally fosters the interdependence needed to solve the complex issues that organizations face.

IT ENABLES STRATEGIC LONG-TERM THINKING

All of the above practices are practical building blocks for shifting from short-term to long-term thinking. The reason to be more strategic in how we approach our workload is not only to address productivity but also engagement. When an organization has clear strategic priorities and distinct metrics for success, it is more likely to achieve its vision. Equally imperative, it spurs people to be invested in their organization’s success, which strengthens retention. If your people are anchored in a long-term outcome and they understand the role they play, they’re more likely to find purpose and meaning in their work.

I wish I could tell you that after all of these years of practicing these tools that I’m completely cured of the “grind” mentality. But that would be setting everyone up for an unrealistic expectation of this journey. It takes conscious effort each day to choose something that is different from our default patterns, which can be deeply ingrained. But it also gets easier each day as we reinforce a new pattern. That’s why it’s so important to broaden our repertoire of tools and set ourselves up for success in the process of unlearning. And in doing so we commit to the path that holds the promise of excellence.