At The Growth Coach, a North American business coaching franchise system, we come face-to-face with tens of thousands of small business clients, prospects, referral sources, and alliance partners each and every year. Over the last few years, especially in The United States, we have seen that the tough economy and slow recovery have taken a financial, emotional and mental toll on many entrepreneurs, especially the ones NOT getting coaching help. Can you relate?
These lone warriors have been trying to do it all on their own. You can see the battle fatigue on their faces. Many feel overworked, overwhelmed, worn out, and have even fallen out of love…with their business. That’s a tough and lonely place to be. The frustrations seem to have increased while the fun has decreased and the burdens seem to outnumber the blessings. Can you relate?
As your virtual business coach, I’m here to say enough is enough. It’s time to put some fun back into your business and life. To get a new perspective. To get out of the daily grind and draining rut. Let me ask you a few coaching questions to start. When was the last time you took a real break from the craziness, complexity, and chaos? When you did something fun and rejuvenating just for you? That’s what I figured … it’s been a while. Don’t you deserve an occasional break so you can be free from the daily obligations, routines, challenges, headaches, worries, and tasks? Absolutely! Couldn’t you benefit from time away from your business to do something fun or relaxing to recharge your body, mind, and soul? Without question! Failing to get away from the business on occasion is a major mistake that will cost you and your company dearly.
In fact, as business coaches, we insist our business coaching clients take time to get away from their businesses. It’s a strategic advantage over their competition. It’s a way to “sharpen the saw”. Throughout North America, our business coaching and accountability process helps thousands of owners achieve greater success … but it also helps them achieve greater balance and levels of happiness. After all, business is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to take care of yourself to stay in the race for the long haul. Bottom line, what profits an entrepreneur if they gain great wealth and fame but lose their health, heart, and soul in the process?
Our business coaching methodology, among many things, helps clients develop the essential habit, structure and mechanics of “building fun” into their busy and stressful entrepreneurial lives. While not always an easy thing to do, this practice yields tremendous dividends. In their Growth Coach Strategic Planners, we have our clients plan for and schedule out several fun activities each and every quarter and then help hold them accountable for making sure the fun activity happens. Frivolous you say? Anything but that … it’s a very smart and profitable “best practice” few entrepreneurs know about and even fewer regularly implement. Business owners who take these critical “time outs” from their businesses stay more balanced and on their best game for their businesses, families and themselves. It’s a powerful coaching secret I am sharing with my blog readers.
By insisting on occasional FUN DAYS away from the business, these clients appreciate the change to recharge their energy levels, creativity, and positive attitude. Many start to fall in love with their businesses all over again. A break (one day or several days) is not only healthy for you, but also for your family, employees, customers and your company. Time away will help you relax your mind, refresh your spirit, and give you a new perspective along with new and profitable ideas. Grinding it out day after day only wears you down and your creative capacity to solve problems and seize opportunities.
For your sake, please trust this veteran business coach and take the time to recharge and rejuvenate yourself. By gifting yourself occasional FUN DAYS you will come back to your business better than when you left. Also, time away from your business forces your employees to step up and make decisions in your absence … that’s a good thing. It also forces your company and employees to put operating systems in place so the company is not totally dependent on you, the owner, for making every decision, handling every transaction, and solving every problem. Again, that’s a good thing. Otherwise, without systems and empowered employees, it’s an exhausting way to run a business and live your life.
If fun breaks are such a lucrative and healthy idea, why don’t most business owners take them? They simply get caught up in a vicious cycle. Since they feel overworked, overwhelmed and like prisoners to their business, they mistakenly believe they can’t afford the time to take a break. If fact, they work even harder and longer. They think they are too far behind, too involved and too essential to the business to escape on occasion. These are merely excuses for and symptoms of the real problem … an entrepreneur working a job instead of owning and building a business.
Such owners, unwilling to take off FUN DAYS, are generally trapped working too much “in” the business like an employee instead of “on” the business like an owner. In truth, they really need to schedule time away and escape the “busyness treadmill” before they wear down or burn out. Also, without a business coach or accountability partner, most owners don’t see the big picture and the necessity and benefits of taking strategic time outs in the first place.
As your virtual business coach I ask you to do yourself a favor. Think about one activity you will commit to do in the next 90 days that will recharge your battery (mental health and energy level). Something different and exciting that will rekindle your kid-like wonder and joy. It could be one of your favorite hobbies or sporting activities you have denied yourself. It could be spending time with one of your best friends. Maybe more time working out, connecting with nature, getting a massage, shopping or reading. Visiting museums, parks or the fine arts. Going on a short trip or even a great vacation somewhere fun and special … the mountains to ski, a beach to chill out, a spa to get pampered, or an adventure to get your blood pumping. Maybe you simply need to spend more time with your family. Whatever or wherever it is, schedule at least one fun activity you will engage in within the next 90 days. Write it down with a deadline to do it. What’s your fun activity? Share this with your business coach or an accountability partner so they will make sure you inject some fun into your life and business.
Don’t you deserve a break today? Talk with a business coach about how you can infect some fun into your life and business.
