Jacinda Ardem, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, announced her departure from the highest office of her country. She would be leaving next month and handing over the baton to one of her colleagues to steer the country forward. Her 5 year tenure coming to an end. The interesting part is that Jacinda Ardem became the youngest Prime Minister of New Zealand in 150 years at the age of 37 and as she is demiting office, she is just 42.
While announcing her decision Jacinda Ardem mentioned that there was not enough left in the Tank for her to carry on, which actually led me to write this article today. The so called Tank is a reservoir of physical and emotional energies and embodies physical strength, ambitions, interests, preferences, desires and a will to keep going. A decline in any of these elements may lead to a depletion of the Tank and a consequent withdrawal from the job at hand.
Jacinda Ardem had already achieved so much at a very young age and is fairly natural that her interests and preferences would undergo a change as she progresses in age and life. She held the most powerful position in her country, but is prepared to let it go, is a consequence of other preferences taking root in the form of her child and family. Also the fact that her 5 years at the helm were extremely challenging with the Pandemic in between and its aftermath, would have drained her too. Sometimes it’s human to run out of ideas and is always better to pass on the baton to someone else who is fresh and raring to go.
This phenomenon is visible in people who are in high performance high pressure jobs for long periods, wherein they are required to out do themselves every day. The quest for consistent improvements takes a toll both emotionally and physically and eventually a time comes when the mind just refuses to further innovate, create and assimilate. The Tank begins to decline. It’s time then to withdraw and seek a diverse activity to refresh physically and emotionally. It is so important ( though not easy ) in such conditions to have an alternate hobby or vocation to transcend into.
This decline in the Tank is also seen in people who are young achievers and have realised their ambitions early in life. They tend to drift after a point. They become disinterested unless and until they find another ambition to focus their mind on. The Tank therefore needs a regular transfusion of such ambitions, which of course is not easy to find and develop.
One should always keep striving in search of a new goal, develop new interests and hobbies, take different challenges than the daily ones, so that the supply to one’s Tank is maintained at all times.
We all need a ‘Full Tank’…
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Featured image : Jacinda Ardem / photo courtesy CNN
So well written Riz.He has explained the journey of life to be always having goals and objectives to make it worthy and interesting.Another aspect that has been particularly highlighted is …that we should be able to know our priorities and lead life accordingly.
Thank you for the appreciation
Riz Khan has touched upon the phrase ‘not enough in the tank’ used by Jacinda Arden while deciding to quit the high office she has held as Prime Minister of New Zealand.
In fact I myself was piqued by her puzzling comment. But now Riz has dwelt upon this ‘ phenomenon’ which is increasingly been noticed from the behaviour and actions of young early satisfied achievers/performers in their lives or careers.
Riz has rightly highlighted one such astonishing occurrence now.
Really appreciate
Very courageous and unique of this leader to seek a purpose rather than just pursue power……nice analysis
That’s true