In a creative yet demanding business like ours (and like many of yours), the ability to give ourselves permission for a “brain rest” is critically important. Those of us who are driven entrepreneurs tend to keep our foot on the accelerator at all times and forget that our cars even have a brake (or “break,” if you will).
Even though I tend to dismiss the well-intentioned advice of my family and friends to “stop and smell the roses” – believing that my stamina is a deep well that will never go dry – I was recently reminded of the amazing power of putting the relentless pressures of running a business on hold for just a little while.
After returning from a recent vacation, I realized the mental and emotional value of a true get away. No constant email-checking, no problem-solving phone calls, no wondering how I could accomplish all that needs to be done every day. Just awakening each morning, leisurely enjoying my coffee with a beautiful view, and taking a big, deep breath.
As a result, my re-entry into work life was accompanied by a fresh, “cleaned out” mind, an uplifted spirit that brought new ideas to our clients’ business challenges, and an overwhelming affirmation that time away is not only good for the person but is also good for that person’s business.
I believe that one of the missing ingredients of true business success is the ability to maintain a sense of perspective. It is way too easy to become consumed by the “problem of the hour,” winning the next piece of new business or managing that troublesome employee. When we are “down in the weeds,” we tend to elevate the importance of challenges that are not actually make-or-break issues at all, but rather, are just ordinary business situations that have to be dealt with.
When you look at corporate CEO’s who have been able to accomplish true industry leadership, I think that a trait which sets them apart is their ability to rise above the day-to-day tasks of running their businesses and to keep their minds uncluttered enough to think new thoughts about how their businesses can achieve break-through success.
Easier said than done, right? Every business owner or organizational leader has to find his or her own formula for staying fresh and energetic, but I would offer up that one way is to put yourself in a situation where you have to take a mental break – be it a trip abroad, a long weekend enjoying the beauty of nature, or indulging in an all-consuming sport or physical activity that forces your mind to concentrate on that and that alone.
After all, most successful, sustainable businesses are filled with highly capable employees who can certainly carry on without the owner or CEO being there for a little while. (Otherwise, you need to seriously regroup and examine whether or not you have the right people on the bus.)
So what are the take-aways from this little treatise on the joys of occasional time off?
If you do it right – by totally immersing yourself in interesting, relaxing and/or all-encompassing situations – your mind has no choice but to focus on new and different things. This is a natural “cleansing process” that leaves you with the ability to look at challenges and opportunities through a fresh, uncluttered lens.
Every business requires a shot of true creativity now and then, and one of the best ways to achieve that is by giving your brain an occasional rest. Upon re-entry, it is amazing how many new thoughts and ideas will fill that space you’ve carved out in your mind as a result of giving it some breathing room.
Even though I always experience a moment of thinking that “this is exactly the wrong time for me to be out of the office” just prior to an extended trip, it really isn’t. In fact, that reaction probably makes it be the perfect time!
Cathy Ackermann, founder and president of Ackermann Marketing & PR, may be reached at cackermann@ackermannpr.com
