I have a friend, who is a Director of a very successful local company. She is the most highly motivated and strong-willed person I have ever met! When I first met her, all she cared about was her company. She constantly set high goals for herself and her staff and did all she could to not only achieve but smash those goals! Not only did she achieve in her company, but in her personal life, she was also always striving, completing extra qualifications on the side and helping her children get into the best schools. Until one day it all just wasn’t enough! She lost all her motivation and drive and felt like she was just not bothered anymore. She couldn’t continue pushing her business and really struggled to continue with her extra qualifications. To me, it sounds like all her drive and motivation has caused her to completely burn out.

Some of the most common constraints we face as business owners are having to do all things in the business ourselves or perhaps learning to lead a team, and time! How many times have you used the phrase “there are not enough hours in the day” or “I could do with an extra day this week!”? And what do we do to face these challenges? We go into overdrive, full steam ahead and work until we can’t function anymore. So with all that in mind, this weeks challenge may cause you to panic a little!

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This week I challenge you to plan a holiday!

When was your last holiday? Was it inspiring and memorable?? Or was it just a few days ‘off’ (generally meaning that you still checked in with emails!).

As business owners we are used to working hard, and perhaps we had to do that for a little while to get the business up and running! I am not saying hard work and determination are evil, just that working in that way continuously is not sustainable. I read a great blog post on taking time off this week, and in it Joe Robinson writes “Entrepreneurs are often celebrated for wearing different hats and logging numerous hours. But working without letup is a bad habit that can jeopardise business, health ad the life that you’re supposedly working toward. ” And you can see that clearly in the story of my friend! Not only is this habit jeopardising your business and health, it is also a major creativity killer.

We all need a break! Just as you neat food to refuel your body, or stop and catch your breath after a great workout, we need to give our minds a break. Studies show that performance increases after you take a break. You get more done and quicker if you take a step back to recharge your brain and body. So let’s get planning that holiday!

Keys to a successful super inspiring holiday:

  • Plan it in advance and make sure it is protected and non-negotiable – Planning a holiday is not only good for our productivity but also gives us a chance to explore our creativity even further! This is why I would say plan a proper break, get away from the day to day completely to be properly inspired and refreshed. It is so important to plan regular breaks rather than take them as they come or else you will just keep going until you have burnt out and are forced to stop working for an even longer period of time! Don’t put off the planning and believe that you’ll take a break when you get time or it may never happen! Plus I think you’ll find that the actual planning will give you a short break from the ordinary as well as give you something really exciting to look forward to when you are struggling to get motivated.
  • Do not engage in any business-related thinking communication or actions – First of all, turn your phone off! Don’t check your emails or social media updates. It is surprisingly liberating not having to check in with the world every 5  minutes or to update everyone with what you are up to that second. Secondly, try and leave your troubles behind. I recommend a two week holiday to make sure you have the time to wind down and clear your head, time to have a lot of fun and completely forget about the rest of the world and finally a little bit of time to get back into the business frame of mind on your return.
  • Devote it to rejuvenating yourself physically, mentally and spiritually – Fuel your creativity! Do things that inspire you, things that you probably can’t to in your everyday life and try new things. Give your body rest if it needs it and explore your spirituality.

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According to Dan Sullivan, co-founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc, if you follow these steps, when you return to work you will be able to be more creative, confident and productive 🙂  So where would you like to go on holiday? Would love to hear all about it!

We have dedicated an entire chapter of our Success Story System to back to basics, get involved and tap into all of our valuable resources to support you in your business.

 

By Women's Business Club

Women's Business Club empowers women to succeed in business through awards, conferences, business support membership, and news. Find out more at www.womensbusiness.club or send your press release [email protected]. Articles and adverts are chargeable, see media pack at www.womensbusiness.club/media-pack