Holidays and normal life are not mutually exclusive
How much do you love your business? Perhaps you’ve lost the initial love you had at the beginning? Perhaps you’re loving it more than ever?
Either way, it’s nice every now and then to be able to completely switch off from our businesses — whether it’s a staycation at home or, if you’re fortunate enough, time away on holiday. There are so many mantras that say, “create a life that’s so great you don’t have to ever take a holiday” and that's a great idea in theory, but I believe that everyone benefits with time away from their day-to-day.
On the drive home from my own holiday yesterday (which I know I was INCREDIBLY fortunate to be able to take) I was thinking about why these "breaks" are so enjoyable and what is it about a holiday that genuinely revives us. Is it simply having less to do? Less places to be? Less demands on our time? Is it being around loved ones? Or, is it being away from staff, clients or customers (as much as we might like them? Is it having time to think? Is it not having to think at all?
Yes holidays are relaxing but we almost take that as a given. What if we took the time to dissect what it is that's different about "normal" life vs. a holiday and even went one step further, to consider how we might merge them, and have more of the good stuff from a holiday as part of our every day?
NEED HELP GROWING YOUR BUSINESS?
SIGN UP BELOW TO RECEIVE A FREE DOSE OF BIZ INSIGHTS AND TACTICS DELIVERED WEEKLY.
How could you make simple tweaks in your everyday "normal" existence to bring in some of the elements that make a holiday so relaxing? How might you change the way you run your business in 2021 to be able to have more of that?
If you're a little lost and thinking this all sounds nice, but is just not realistic, consider how any of the followings tactics could be employed in your life?
· Could you factor in a 3-min meditation before meetings, even sitting at your desk?
· Could you buy a hammock and set it up in the office or in your garden if you work from home and spend 10 minutes each morning in there?
· Could you swap a night of Netflix for a meal and documentary / film related to your ideal travel destination (i.e. Think Greece and the film Before Midnight, or Italy an a meal from A Year of Simple Family Food?)
· Could you open that nice bottle of wine and savour it with good friends on a random Wednesday evening?
· Could you take a half-day and find a local walk or bike ride in your area you haven't tried before?
· Could you trial a week utilising free guided meditations like these ones from UCLA?
Sure it's always lovely to get away for a week or more, but we often see normal life and holidays as mutually exclusive. How might you bring some of the tactics above, or any other you imagine, into your life so that holiday feelings are something you experience a little more often, even - gasp! - while running your small business?
In 2021, while we are still living with a global pandemic and with huge levels of uncertainty, I believe that this is a business tactic worth experimenting with. I'd love to hear your thoughts and which tactics you'll be trying. Don't be a stranger, either hit reply or send me a DM over on instagram.