By Jon Randall
Chief Coaching Officer
Balance and vacationing can be some of the most important parts of your overall performance. I know some of you take vacations, but vacation means to vacate your regular everyday life. I see a lot of you might go somewhere, but you’re working the whole time you’re there. You have your laptop, you have your phone, and you’re constantly in there thinking about things. You haven’t vacated if you’re working when you get away.
You’ve got to find ways to detach and completely get away from your business, to turn all the things off and do something totally different, because when you’re constantly plugged in, your battery will wear out just like a cell phone. The human body, the human brain, it’s just like one of those phones. And if you don’t take time to turn it off, shut down all the apps, charge it back up, at some point you’re going to hit burnout, and that’s one of the worst things that can happen in business.
Burnout can be reversible, but one of the greatest ways to prevent burnout is balance, and making sure you have other things in your life that give you energy. If all you’re doing is grinding and working, and all of the things that you have are taking energy from you to do, you’ve got to have other things in life, you’ve got to have something fun. You’ve got to have something that gives you energy, whether it’s exercising, a sport, an activity, a hobby, a craft, playing music, something that gives you balance. Something else for you to physically and mentally put effort towards to not think about business for a while is really critical. You’ve got to be able to turn on business 100%, not 98%, 100% when you need to. You’ve got to be 100% for your best clients.
If we are on all the time, I’d be surprised if you’re any better than 85, maybe 90. I’m talking about being 100% your best. And it’s got to mean spurts of being on with your clients, and then being out doing something else. It might mean a day off from your business, might mean an afternoon or an evening off, might mean a morning off from your business, whatever gives you balance and allows you to be 100% for your best clients and your best prospects. That’s the next level of performance for you.
So, finding that balance and finding those ways to unplugs are key. I think a great first challenge is try to vacate when you go on vacation. Vacate your everyday life, your everyday routines. When you go away somewhere, be away. Enjoy it, soak it all in, think about the things that are going on there, experience the things that are going on there, be away from your business.
Now, the thing that holds most people back is, gosh, you know my clients, I don’t want to let them down. And if I’m away, I’m not there for them. I want to let them know they can text me on my cell phone or they can email me and I’ll be there for them because I have to do everything for them.
Guess what? Your clients have all taken a vacation at some point. They will 100% understand that you need a break to vacate. I always said to my practice, “For me to be at my best for you, here’s what I’m going to do for the year, here’s when my kids are off school, my wife and I are going to take them away and do these things. And we’re going to be away those weeks.”
Now, you know what? There’s people on our team that can help you, but let’s make sure we talk before I’m away for that week so that we have you covered if an emergency happens, and you need something, we ‘ve got you. We have people there. But I’ll be back the following week. It’s okay. They understand.
Now this was a big journey for me personally to be able to let go. I tell you the first time I did it, I was really scared. I was nervous. I thought the end of the world would happen. And you know what? I came back to my business and everything was just fine. No one missed me. In fact, when I prepared clients that I was going to be away, I didn’t have a whole bunch of emails. I came back to nothing.
So, prepare your clients, let them know you’re going to be away and why. Give them plenty of notice and tell them all the things you’re doing so you can be at your best. And you know what? It’s going to impress some of your best clients. Because they may have done the same thing or they may learn from you how important balance is in their lives and learn something beyond your business relationship, some additional item of value that you’re bringing. But plan out your year. Plan when you’ll be on 100%. Plan when you’ll work on your business, but plan when you’ll vacate your business and be away, and truly be away and refresh, relax, recharge your batteries and be ready to come back 100%.
So, I look forward to hearing how this works for you. This is a journey to get better at. Every year you can get better and better and better and better at this. And have more balance, work less time, be more intense in those times, generate more business in those times, and have more time away for the things that you really love and enjoy.
To schedule a complimentary consultation to talk more about this, fill out the box to the right, email jon@dynamicdirections-d2.com or call 270-663-7264.