Food for thought start the new year strong – Career&Integration Services| Living&Working in CH

Food for Thought: to Start Your Year Strong

As leaders and professionals, we spend a lot of time optimizing what we do. We set objectives, plan projects, review performance, and look for efficiency gains.

But, far less attention is given to something just as decisive for performance, clarity, and resilience: what we are feeding ourselves with every day?

And food, in this context, goes far beyond nutrition. Every single day, you consume far more than meals.

You consume information
You consume conversations
You consume environments, moods, expectations, and pressures
You consume your own internal dialogue.

None of this is Neutral...

Just like physical food, these inputs support either your vitality and focus or slowly erode your energy, confidence, and sense of direction.

The Invisible Diet of Leaders

Many professionals come to coaching sessions feeling tired, unfocused, or stuck, even though “nothing is wrong on paper.”
The issue is often not a lack of competence or ambition, but an unconscious mental and emotional diet.

Too much noise.
Too many reactive conversations.
Too much information without integration.
Too many repetitive thoughts that quietly undermine momentum.

Over time, this creates fatigue, disengagement, and a sense of running without moving forward.

A Simple Awareness Exercise

Before changing anything, awareness is key.

Take a few quiet minutes to reflect on your day. Make an honest inventory.

What did you eat and drink?
What information did you consume?
Which conversations did you have?
Which thoughts kept repeating themselves
Now observe, without judgment.

What gave you energy, clarity, or perspective; What drained you, distracted you, or created tension?

This exercise is not about perfection. It is about seeing clearly what you are feeding.

Why This Matters for Leadership and Careers

Your energy shapes your leadership.
Your attention shapes your decisions.
Your inner dialogue shapes your confidence and ambition.
If your inputs are constantly exhausting, no strategy or promotion will fix the underlying issue.
If your inputs are nourishing, progress becomes lighter, clearer, and more sustainable.

Strong leaders are not only defined by what they deliver, but by how consciously they manage their energy, focus, and inner landscape.

Start Small, but Start Consciously

You do not need to change everything at once.

Start by noticing.
Then make small, intentional shifts.

One better conversation.
One clearer boundary with information.
One thought you choose not to repeat.
Because what you feed consistently, grows.

Leadership, at its core, starts with leading yourself.

If you want to explore how to build awareness, energy, and direction in your leadership or career, this is exactly where coaching can create lasting impact.