This article first appeared on LinkedIn February 1, 2016, under Stan McChrystal's profile as a self-published article.
With the author's name being Stan McChrystal and the articles premise being one of sustained personal endurance how could anyone not be curious? I certainly was. In this brief glimpse into a well known and successful professional's pattern of life, I was most intrigued with the connection that what one does outside of the workplace has a direct effect on their performance inside. To this day I struggle with what I feel I "should be" doing in my off time. What "could be" better preparing me for the next event? Moreover, with how interconnected personal and work life and work have become (nonstop cellphones, email, text messages, etc.) the challenge becomes where does one generate energy and drive to move forward with both work and life? In "How I Keep Up with an Unrelenting Work Pace," author Stan McChrystal describes how disassociated activities and study both reinforced and strengthened his abilities to maintain an unrelenting work pace.
Photo from Stan McChrystal's personal collection