Success in Sweatpants

As a solo business owner, in spite of your best efforts you may find that you can’t stop working.  You may have forgotten how to relax or feel guilty for taking time away from your business.  It is important to remember that you chose your business so that you would have freedom to earn a living and enjoy your life.  In neglecting your life, you are negating many of the reasons that you took on the risk of becoming a solo business owner.   

I must admit that all too often I have allowed life to slip and business took over.  I’ve been fortunate during those times, to have people around who gently remind me that taking a break is good for me and good for business.  How effective can you truly be if you’re tired, stressed and your family is not speaking to you? 

When you were in the traditional work force, chances are you took time for lunch, and you actually left the office every day!  You may have worked late some evenings, and perhaps put in a few weekends, but there was definitely time spent away from work.  You may even have verged on workaholism, but still managed time off. It is hard to break old patterns and there is no doubt that the stakes are higher when it’s your business, so it can be very easy to allow work to fill all of your days.  But don’t let this go on. Success does require hard work, but any successful business person will tell you how important it is to have a healthy mind, body and attitude.  It is impossible to achieve any of that if you are working non-stop. 

If you are having a hard time breaking the work cycle you will need to schedule in some down time to reprogram your thinking.  Be warned, it may take practice, but you can do it! Here are a few simple suggestions to get you reconnected to life:

• Have lunch with one of your friends, family members, or old colleagues at the local café and, instead of discussing work, simply reconnect with them and enjoy yourself.  Heck go alone and have a leisurely lunch and people watch.
• Take a brisk walk (or run) around the block so that you can clear your head or engage in a physical activity that totally takes your mind off of work.
• Listen to a relaxation tape or get a massage and let your mind drift with non-work related thoughts. 
• Unplug your phone, drink some relaxing herbal tea and pop in your favorite movie or read your favorite book.
• Commit to spending quality time away from work. If you have to, play hooky from work. Simply take a mini vacation. Don’t log onto the computer. Don’t search for projects. Simply refuse to do anything work-related and enjoy yourself.
• Limit your workday. Don’t let the 24-hour work schedule dictate your life. Clock out at 5 p.m., and leave your evenings free. Refuse to work weekends and if you find yourself even thinking about work, plan an evening out with family and friends.

It may take an effort, but your success really does depend on your ability to take time off from your work on a regular basis. If you need a little extra help, consider this in the context of a business requirement handed down by the boss!