I feel so good I’m going to call in well!  It’s been 20 years, but I still remember these words a colleague would say on sunny days when he wanted to get out to the golf course. He didn’t want sick days, he wanted well days! He believed that golf was essential to his well-being long before well-being became the trending topic it is today.

I too have recently been thinking about the topic of well-being.  Last year, I began my journey of becoming a certified coach. The certification I chose has a large component that focuses on a person’s well-being and provides tools that enables coaching individuals around their personal well-being.  As part of our curriculum and practice during coaching meetings, we play the well-being game.

The purpose of the well-being game is to help someone identify what they need to be in a true state of well-being. They vary greatly by person, because we all have different needs when it comes to well-being.

In full transparency, I must admit that the part of me that has a core value of efficiency was a tiny bit skeptical of the well-being game. My task focused brain wondered why so much time would be taken up in the coaching meetings to discuss well-being qualities when we could be discussing more meaty topics – you know, like leadership!

However, as I was being coached myself, I came to appreciate and value the well-being game. I noticed that when my well-being was higher, the more positive and productive I felt. Now I embrace the well-being game, and it has been a valuable tool with clients. I love learning what they need for their own well-being. I’ve heard everything from skiing to family to dancing to creating to connecting. They are all unique.

What’s really interesting though, is the correlation between well-being and the ability to produce results. Forward thinking organizations are encouraging employee well-being  – and focusing on the whole person – after all, we do bring our whole selves to work, and every aspect of our lives contributes to our well-being. Promoting well-being won’t be a single activity – it’s something to be cultivated and supported – creating a workplace where both organizations and employees thrive.

And, while true well-being varies greatly from person to person, one quality that seems to be consistent is relationships and connections. People are wired for connections. As you look forward to 2020, how are you creating an environment where relationships and connections are cultivated and celebrated? How are you creating an environment where personal well-being enables you to be more positive and productive?

Take a moment to pause and reflect on what your personal well-being qualities are. What do you need to influence your well-being? What do you need to feel so good that you can call in well?