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I admit, I’ve never seen the movie that this blog post is named after, and at the rate I am losing free time these days, I don’t think it is in my near future. But I don’t need to see the movie to understand the importance of breathing. And not in the literal sense—although that is of obvious importance—but in the stopping-and-smelling-the-roses and living-in-the-moment sense.
A client abruptly stopped his meeting with me this week to announce I looked pale. Apart from highlighting the fact that I’m Irish and that I’m still wearing my black winter coat during this chilly spring, I took note of his comment and tried to move on.
But he wasn’t done. After he probed the cause of this paleness, as he called it (but let’s call a spade a spade—paleness was his polite way of saying I looked like crap), he proceeded to explain the effects of stress and working nonstop and reminded me of the importance of my health and that, without my health, I can’t function properly. Touché.
I tell this story not in hopes of validating my theory that I was just experiencing a solitary instance of not looking my best, but because I don’t believe I, as a small business owner, am alone in often working unbalanced hours with insane expectations and even crazier, lofty aspirations for my company. I find myself often saying, “I’m almost at that next level” or “One more contract and I’ll be really comfortable.”
Guess what? Inevitably, I find an excuse to not be satisfied despite every milestone I achieve.
I don’t have it all figured out (not even close), but I do know that I don’t want to wake up one day and find the saying “Life happened while I was making other plans” my reality.
The sad reality is that for business owners, the lack of a balanced life is even harder to achieve, which is why my client’s comment really got me thinking. So I’m passing the realization that I have come to accept: regardless of your career trajectory, whether you are well established in your field or considering a different opportunity, I challenge you to not lose sight of other passions in your life.
Turn off your Blackberry while watching your child’s tee ball game, dedicate one day a week to end the workday at a reasonable hour, and go take the yoga class you’ve been meaning to try. (If you didn’t do any of these things this past weekend, try next weekend.) I guarantee that the RFP, project, or conference call will be waiting for you when you get back.
You may be surprised at how much not working can revive your energy level and enthusiasm, making it that much easier to tackle the next item on your never-ending to-do list.
Guest blog contributor Emily Richards, President of Drew Consulting, LLC, provides comprehensive strategic and tactical marketing solutions that encompass demographic targeting, market research, feasibility studies, competitive market strategy development, and environment analyses. She is well versed in traditional marketing, public relations, and advertising, and her clients range widely across industries and service/product lines.
