The Fast

We’ve made it to the end of another week and so a food-related topic for today. Actually, it’s more of a lack of food topic since I want to mention a thought I had about fasting and business.
Tomorrow is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, a day on which every Jew is supposed to refrain from eating and drinking. That obligation is taken so seriously that one is considered to have participated fully in all the prayer services if they complete the fast even if they never set foot in the synagogue.  Last month was Ramadan – a month in which Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. There are fasts in almost every major religion and the notion of willingly abstaining from food and drink as penance or for some other reason is yet another thing most religions have in common.

But penance is not what prompted the thought about business (a religion for some as well, I know).
Part of what fasting demonstrates is that you are in control. It’s something we do willingly – it’s a choice.  How often do you hear someone say they “had no choice” about something they’ve done in business?  It usually seems to get said about something for which the speaker was feeling guilty.

I realize that most of us aren’t completely autonomous when it comes to business and that can limit the choices we have.  In fact, saying “it was the only choice I had” is different from “I had no choice.”  We always do and I’d argue that the number of choices available to us is a great indicator of how successful we are.

Sheena Iyengar writes about choice (she has a new book on it as well) and a British study that found that employees who feel less control over their work have higher levels of stress. The ability to make choices about our work and life is an essential part of psychological well-being. People who perceive themselves as lacking control “are at a higher risk for depression than those who believe they have control,’’ writes Iyengar.

So if you’re choosing to fast tomorrow, have an easy one.  It’s not an easy choice to make but sometimes those are the kind life hands us, both in the office and out.  But isn’t it nice to know you’re in control!