FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

I just finished a coaching call with a client who is running an extremely successful consulting business. She achieved all her revenue and business goals last year and is set up to have even bigger success this year. All of this makes my very happy. But there is one thing that concerns me and it is something I see with a lot of the women I coach and speak to. The constant focus on getting things done and never taking time to relax and unwind. Yes it is important that you be efficient at getting things done to run a profitable business. But as human beings we also need downtime to relax and recharge. To not do it is rather like trying to run your car without gas - sooner or later you grind to a halt. Unwinding and relaxing is not optional for a busy entrepreneur; running a successful business requires a ton of creativity, energy and passion. If you do not take the time to recharge your batteries, you will end up being a lot less effective.

Learn to increase your business success by:
1. Every week, take the time to review everything you have accomplished and reward yourself for the stuff you got done. Don’t keep all your focus on everything that still needs to be done. This is demoralizing and robs you of the joy of running your own business. The reward can be small - a special coffee at Starbucks, a walk to your favourite spot, a massage - whatever you want.

2. Clear your mind 3 times a day by closing your eyes and taking some deep breaths, holding them for 10 seconds and then releasing fully. This allows you to clear your mind and give your body a chance to relax. Research shows that regular mini-breaks of a few minutes duration during the day increase your productivity greatly.

3. Say no to doing things that are not that important. Only do stuff that fits in with your priorities. Keep asking yourself during the day: “Is this the best use of my time right now?”

Self-care and relaxation are important business goals - make sure you include them in your day.