Make Space For Success

Hey, I never said it was easy. I’m the first one to admit that this has been a problem for me. I love my work and tend to get really excited about new projects and clients. Marketing and social media books, workshops and blogs are definitely my type of porn. But enough is enough people. When you find yourself consumed by one area of your life or you feel like your to-do list is three miles long, it’s time for an intervention.

Burnout isn’t pretty. Stress from your work life will seep into your personal life if it’s not managed. In order to thrive at work you’ve got to give your brain some time to unplug and recharge. I find that when I spend some time away from work doing non-work things that I love, not only do I get some great business ideas, but I get back to work feeling refreshed and ready to take on anything.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Get In The Flow: We all have non-work related activities that help us get into the “flow.” Think back to when you were a child. What could you lose yourself in for hours undisturbed? What do you absolutely love to do now as an adult that makes you forget time and space? For me, it’s things like yoga and pilates, horseback riding, art projects, walking on the beach, massage, dinner with girlfriends and reading a great book that help me to “unravel” my brain and leave my cares behind.

Exercise: There are thousands of statistics about the benefits of exercise. Move your body more and you will have more energy and less stress. Guaranteed. If you don’t like the gym, then get outside. Take a walk around your neighborhood, bike through the park or go rollerblading on the beach. Take 30 minutes after work to walk your dog or just roll out your yoga mat and go through an asana series.

Do the Brain Dump: Once a day (I usually like to do this either right before I leave my office or right before I go to bed at night), make a list of all the things you need to do the next day – and even for the next week. No item is too big or too small to add to the list, just get it out of your head. Once you have your list, then put an A next to the top five highest priority items and a B next to the next five. These are your most important items to address the following day. Do not start on a B item until you have finished the A’s.

Set A Timer: Your kitchen timer is your friend at the office too! Armed with your to-do list that you created the night before, set your timer for 60 minutes and focus on getting your A priority items completed – one at a time. Close your email, do not take phone calls and focus only on one item at a time, crossing them off as you go. I call this my “Power Hour.” If done correctly (no distractions allowed), you will be absolutely amazed at how much you are able to accomplish in a mere hour. In our multi-tasking, ADD society, we are pulled in so many different directions and don’t realize that our attention is constantly being diluted.

If you aren’t taking care of yourself first, then you aren’t going to be much good to those around you. Life Coach Cheryl Richardson calls this “extreme self-care.” If your head and environment are filled with clutter and “to-do’s” and you aren’t allowing yourself time away from work for “fun and flow”, you are probably experiencing a pretty high level of stress and anxiety.

It’s all about creating space – in your head and in your environment – so that your brand brilliance can shine through.

© Liz Dennery Sanders 2009