A couple of weeks ago, Ann and I saw the summer thriller World War Z. It’s about a pathogen gone wild that turns folks into zombies.

Once infected, their eyes glaze over. They become dull and lifeless until they’re stressed by sound. Then they become dangerously aggressive running wildly in packs.

They’re the ‘un-dead.’

But they might as well be dead.

Are you a zombie?

I’ve just started working with a professional who puts in 17-hour days, seven days a week. He doesn’t know how to stop. He has hasn’t taken a vacation in years. His health is failing. His marriage is suffering. And, despite all the time he spends, his business is unraveling.

He’s stressed and lifeless and running around madly; trying desperately to keep all the balls in the air.

He’s definitely a zombie.

But he’s not alone.

So many of the folks who seek out Ann and me for coaching have lost control of their time; they’ve lost sight of their boundaries; they wake up every day feeling exhausted and depleted; feeling as if they’re already behind; then they run around madly all day long trying desperately to accomplish enough – to be enough; then they fall into bed at the end of the day feeling worn out and frustrated and empty… only to wake up and do it all over again.

The answer, they think, is to double down. Get busier; work harder; put in more hours.

I know. I owned that tee shirt once. (I had a secretary years ago who referred to me – not so lovingly – as a ‘hamster on a wheel.’ And truth be told, it felt just that way.)

But there is a better way. And it’s not about doing more or accomplishing more or being more.

(In fact, we are already enough, just as we are.)

• It’s about getting clear about our purpose; about our vision for our lives.
• It’s about saying ‘no’ to what’s not working so that we can say ‘yes’ to what is.
• It’s about foregoing the urgent for what is truly important.

It’s about discovering work that makes our hearts sing. It’s about nurturing the relationships that matter. It’s about caring for these magnificent bodies that carry us on this journey.

It’s about resting and recharging and reclaiming ourselves.

Peak performers: They know the secrets:

They know it’s not about working harder.

They’re they ones whose lives are rich and full and happy; who wake up every day excited and on fire about what lies ahead.

They’re the ones who know the rhythms of work and rest and play. They’re the ones with the light in their eyes and the spring in their step.

You can learn these secrets too.

Zombies. They should stay in the movies.