I Hate to Break it to You.. but You Need a Break! Refresh, Reenergize, Refocus!
Lynne Jarman-Johnson, April 3, 2010
Take a break. Three simple words that we all desperately need but rarely heed. The world has become a fast track of posts, tweets, 140 characters and checking our mobile phones. How many times did you say last week, “hang tight - one more email to get out.” How often did you break out of a meeting to “take that call” or “check your messages.”
While 140 characters have become our focal point, 140 seconds seems like an eternity to spend with anyone let alone yourself.
And so. it is with the thought of truly taking a break, that we have scheduled a family vacation. I realize I can easily bring my laptop, my iphone and connect to the world in the same frenzied style that I have become accustomed to. But I have decided not to. I am turning my phone and laptop off for 8 days. I understand it will take me a few days to get past the “rush” of checking facebook, twitter, linked in and blogs to see what my web 3.0 world has served up while I slept. I am not overly optimistic that this will change my life and I won’t go back to my crazy, posting world when I return. You see. I love the connection technology brings. I love the communication. I love the atmosphere of friendship that lingers long after a smile from a friend that comes in the form of a post or a tweet. But what I love is not what I need. And that is something that all of us as business leaders need to remember.
What I do know is that I need a break. We all do. And we need to learn to take breaks every day - not just when vacation time rolls around. I need the time, space and ocean to cleanse a very hectic life. I’ve come up with what I will work on over the next 8 days. I hope to instill it into an every day morning and evening ritual so I’m learning to take much needed breaks consistently. We all need to take a break - and with the three “R’s” we can take one for 1 minute 15 minutes or 8 days:
Refresh: Take the time to look at the road ahead. Are you traveling the road you intended? If you are on a detour is it one that will help you reach your goal? Is your passion for your work and your outcomes as high as it needs to be? How can you refresh your passion each and every day? Do people tell you that they SEE that you love what you do based on your energy and actions? Are you happy with your work product? Learn ways for you to refresh your work. Think back to when you first began, what was the “fire” that lit your passion? Bring the fire back like only you can.
Refocus: Unless you truly know your own personal goals you cannot focus on your work. You can bring 1/2 of your mental energy to the table each and every day and leave the other 1/2 to dream of where you truly want to be. Refocus your priorities to ensure you are bringing 100% to the table every day. You’ll be amazed at who will join you to help you bring new ideas and outcomes to your teams and your work. Attach a goal to each project and put timelines to the goals. Take large projects and break them into mini goals. Celebrate the success of each goal along the way. If you begin feeling stressed and overwhelmed it is your sign to take a step back and refocus.
Reenergize: You cannot keep going and going and going unless you recharge yourself. And the best form of reenergizing comes in the form of people. Building the base of your mentors, colleagues and most trusted friends and advisors is critical. You know who you trust and admire. Take the time to lean on, listen with, bounce ideas off of, laugh with, lay your worries on, support, brainstorm with, and connect to them. The energy comes from the reciprocal relationship that builds over time. There is no better way to reenergize than to share your hopes and dreams with those who will help you reach them. Take the time to enjoy your work product while celebrating the relationships that make your work worthwhile.
All of us have our own ways of taking a break. For you it may be a walk on the beach, a round of golf, writing a checklist every morning. How do you take a break? How do you Refresh, Refocus and Reenergize? I’ll let you know in 8 days how I did!
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