A Tool for Shining as Agents of Change - Ep. 1
I’m writing a series of articles about tools I’ve tested and found effective as a leader, change agent, mother, and entrepreneur. I promise they’re quick, simple, and effective—and can even lead to meaningful transformations—if you commit to using them over time.
💡The (REAL) PROBLEM WITH A LACK OF TIME
As an agent of change, I bet your life feels like a never-ending race against the clock. Finding time to:
Learn about the latest news, issues, and solutions.
Responding to emails, supporting this or that team.
Add value by providing innovative and sustainable solutions, even if your colleagues contact you at the last minute.
Support frontline workers who are racking their brains to change the way they produce and consume.
Offer your teams a supportive and encouraging listening ear.
Respond to your boss quickly and effectively.
Take the time to present him with a vision that is a little more ambitious than the one currently in place.
And then there's managing your whole personal life: the kids' doctor's appointments, restocking household supplies, the next dinner with friends, and replying to Mom's text message.
And that's not even counting the workout you'd like to squeeze in somewhere or the book that's been waiting for you in your bag for weeks.
Just reading this must be making your head spin, right?
Still, doesn't that sound a bit like your everyday life?
So here's the thing—hang in there—the real problem isn't a lack of time.
I SWEAR.
I, too, would have preferred to complain about the lack of time.
The real problem is running without stopping.
Not having a single minute to yourself.
It is the imperative of “never enough.”
The "always more."
That's right.
In our efforts to save time so we can do everything right, both you and I end up running like hamsters on a wheel.
This is a twofold problem:
This pace is exhausting and is pushing us to the breaking point.
This pace drives away the people around us who might want to get involved.
🔍 The tool: the number one solution to a lack of time
So what's the solution?
It's very simple. Yet it's often overlooked.
It's …
THE BREAK.
I can already picture you yelling, “Is she kidding me?? I don’t have time, and she wants me to take a break?!”
I know. It's hard.
But honestly, have you ever tried to hold it together and remain a loving, cheerful, intelligent, efficient, and generous person without sleeping for several nights in a row?
If you've had kids, you know what I'm talking about.
If you've ever had bouts of insomnia, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Personally, I've had both :)
So I know it deep down, and you know it deep down …
To stay healthy, we need to sleep.
To make an impact and have time, we need to take a break.
That's all there is to it.
And the same goes for society.
If we want to limit global warming and prevent famines and mass migration, we urgently need to slow down.
It's difficult, but essential.
Change is essential if we want to live in a world where life reigns supreme.
And change starts with oneself …
🐝 YOUR CHALLENGE TO DO MORE AND BETTER OVER TIME
Hopefully, if you’re still reading this post (thanks, and kudos to you, by the way), you’re thinking something like, “Okay, but how do I do that?”
I suggest you take 10 minutes for yourself every day.
Whether it's in the morning (ideally), at lunchtime, or in the evening.
10 minutes just for you.
So, for a while: NO screens, no dishes to put away, no mulling over the to-do list.
A time when you can do whatever brings you joy:
Breathing (cardiac coherence)
Lie down
Write
Read
Draw
Walking
Dance (even just in your head) to music you love
My Feedback
To start with, during my hectic days, the best way to regain clarity and energy was to lie down (or sit down if I was at the office) after lunch, set an alarm, close my eyes, and breathe while focusing on my breath—or even let myself doze off.
And I promise you—take it from a demanding multitasker—it works.
I started out in Japan more than 6 years ago.
At the time, I was going through a very challenging period in my life in many ways.
This ritual opened the door to wonderful changes and had a multiplied impact.
So yes, taking care of ourselves is THE best way to take care of others and the world.
And honestly, 10 MIN out of 24 H can be optimized. Even if it means getting up 10 MIN earlier!
While following a program that addressed this issue, I realized that “taking a break”—even a quick one—had become second nature. It’s one of my daily rituals! I still have a long way to go, and I often find myself falling back into the trap of trying to optimize my time and creating endless to-do lists. But I’m making progress.
So thank you to Hélène Bonhomme for this valuable reminder, which inspired me to write this article. Congratulations on your inspiring impact.
"So... Are you up for it or not?"
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Hello to you, agents of change!
I'm Nina Cambadélis, an impact coach and expert in leadership and sustainable transformation.
For more than 10 years, I was in charge of transformation and multifaceted performance initiatives at a multicultural CAC 40 company. What I love to do is help organizations and professionals rethink their business and make them proud to contribute, in their own way, to a more sustainable, humane, and nature-friendly world. If you’d like some guidance on your journey, contact me!
