A mini vacation

Today was an absolutely wonderful day. Let me back up a minute. As many of you may know, I have been going non-stop for months now, and have not had a "down" day in a very long time. The downside to having your own business is you do fall into the trap of working around the clock. Even though I choose not to post blogs on Saturday nights, doesn't mean that I am not doing something work-related. I also am aware that I have been advising others to remember to take time out of their day for themselves. Something like, do as I say, not as I do. I finally took a mini vacation.

Well today, I worked, which I am still doing, but I took the PERFECT 3 hour break which ended up feeling like I had taken the whole day off from work. I realize that sounds very strange, but it is true. I am back at work, refreshed, feeling like I am finally rested up and ready to tackle the upcoming week. For the first time in a long time, those 3 hours I took off, I didn't worry about anything, I just enjoyed. The best part is that I didn't even leave the house. I even spent the majority of those 3 hours outside, and in Arizona right now, that is very unusual.

Now you all are probably thinking I am totally off my rocker. I probably had too much heat, so I am not thinking clearly. The truth is that I spent probably about 2.5 hours sitting in the pool finishing up reading a really good murder mystery. It is not the book that made the day so great though. The book started off very slowly, and it has taken me a long time to finally get to the end, but more importantly, it was how I spent the day that is important. This is critical for anyone and everyone. Especially those of us with small businesses, those of us with many obligations. We all need a mini vacation more than once a year.

As I have talked about in the past, it is critical to take time out from your normal routine and give both your brain and body a rest. Sleep is not necessarily the right thing for rest because your mind is still processing experiences, thoughts, impressions and worries while you are sleeping. What works for one will not necessarily work for everyone, but for me, reading a book, even remotely engrossing, in a very comfortable location will give both my mind and body the rest it so desperately craves. For me, half-way decent books keep my mind from wandering towards work, and keep me from worrying about everything else in the world. The trick for me is to find a nice, quiet place in which to read that book.

It has been excessively hot here in Arizona (actually in many parts of the country) so I have been pretty much stuck indoors when I wanted to get some reading done. Unless you live alone, and even then it may not work, it is hard to find a quiet place in the house to read. There is always something around you that is needing attention, be it dogs, other people, or chores that you have taken a break from. I discovered that I could sit in the pool, up to my neck in water, and read a book. The water in the pool is almost 90 degrees, so you don't get cold too quickly. I balanced on the seat in the deep end of the pool, kept my hands (and the book) and my toes out of the water.

Granted, this balancing act probably looked pretty silly, but it accomplished four things at the same time. I stayed cool because there was very little of me exposed to the 110 degree temperatures, my book stayed dry, I got some isometric exercises done, and I managed to relax. Once I finished reading, my eyes, may be tired, but I got my exercise, and I got a much needed mental break from work. I feel refreshed, more than even a good night's sleep would have been.

So, the lesson here is find what really makes you happy and be sure to take a few hours out of your hectic week (strive for doing this at least once EVERY week) for yourself and do what you really, really like to do. Do not think about all the things you SHOULD do, or the things that NEED to be done. Those things will be there after you "come back" from your mini-vacation. The difference is that you will be in a much better mental state to deal with those issues if you take the time to rest. You will find your work will get done more efficiently, your thought processes won't feel so bunched up and confused, and you feel like you have a renewed purpose to your life.

There are a million and one things that will always have to be done, and they will always be there. If you don't take care of yourself, even by just taking a few hours off, nobody else will be there to take care of you. If you don't treat yourself right and don't respect yourself enough to take care of yourself, you are in no position at all to help others. I have put back into practice what I preach, and it works, really.

If you have questions about how to take a mini vacation from your busy life, please feel free to contact me at hawgwash1@yahoo.com. I will be more than willing to offer suggestions on how to take a mini vacation without going anywhere, or breaking the bank. If you are looking to find a second income source, please check out our website. We may have something you have been looking for, or we may trigger some additional ideas for what you can do.

Until tomorrow...