Frantic energy is so strong – and it’s contagious. If this is what is showing up in you or your team, you want to make sure you are harnessing and channeling this excitement for directed, not wildly distracted action.Thefreedictionary.com defines “freneticness” as: “from Greek phrenītikos, from phrenītis, brain disease…1. distracted or frantic; frenzied or, … insanity.” MerriamWebster.com cites this word as “filled with excitement, activity, or confusion : wild or frantic.”

Wow. It is a disease of the brain fogged by activity and confusion! Sound familiar?

Many organizations suffer from this disease because they are going through massive changes – either because they are growing or because they are not growing. One is trying to keep up with demand. The other is searching for demand.

Even though you may have a plan or strategy in how you are leading your team or business, plans don’t always reflect reality. People may not be clear on, buy into, or follow the plan. Also, when unplanned stuff happens – as is inevitable – then often adjustment to the plan goes out the window and busy reactions ensue.

When you notice you or your team are stricken by the freneticness disease, you must STOP the insanity, STEP BACK and ASSESS if you are actually on purpose – aligned and making progress toward your vision. If it is the former, then you will have the illusion of being productive. But is it the right kind of busy?

To keep yourself sufficiently inoculated against, or to recover from, the freneticness disease, exercise mindfulness and consider the following questions:

• What is the energetic quality of you, your team and your business – purposeful: on purpose and full or frenetic: busy and distracted?

• Where are you feeling frenzied?

• Where are you feeding the frenzy?

• Where can you stop, pause, assess and regroup for more purposeful direction instead of being jammed in swirling activity or back-to-back meetings.

• Are you and your team jamming and flowing or just jammed up?

• How can you channel the excitement to directed action?