Finding time to relax
My mind is literary exploding with things to do and new ideas to ponder. It’s the life of the entrepreneur. It’s great, but at times I just wish I could find some time to empty my head and relax.
I love it when live throws a little gem at you and makes you relax. The Netherlands can be beautiful. Loved the drive with this view.
I was inspired to write this by @Lukestokes. He said business owners should take a break from time to time and enjoy other things than business. But this is freaking hard.
When I’m watching a movie and I get an email from a client I must read it. Time of day doesn’t matter. If the client is asking a question that I can answer tomorrow I put my phone away. But my mind is already busy with thinking about the answer. I am no longer relaxing.
Small things like this happen all the time and the more clients I get the more it happens.
Ways business can enter your life nowadays: phonecall, texts, whatsapp, email, fb chat and slack. Just to name a few. And it’s not always clients, it can also be colleagues that need help or have a question.
Sometimes I’m jealous of old times. The time when only landlines excited. There was less worry back then. When you weren’t reachable people would just call back and it was considered perfectly normal.
When I’m not responding to any reach out within half a day people tent to go insane.
My desk is a good representation of my mind at the moment.
Calls on Christmas Eve
I was enjoying a fantastic Christmas eve when my phone rang at 7 o’clock at night on Christmas eve. I saw it was a client calling on the screen. I didn’t pick up because I had a few drinks and HELL it was Christmas eve.
The client proceeded to call me 3 times in a row. Calling anybody 3 times in a row is madness because I can see that you called the first time. I know some use it to let me know ITS REALLY IMPORTANT! (but it usually isn’t).
I thought this was the meanest thing. Who does that? On Christmas Eve. Leave me alone for once. I still haven’t called this client back and I’m thinking about revoking this person the client status. Don’t care about the reason.
Being in business.
Being in business is fantastic and if you are thinking about starting something up I highly recommend it. It’s the most satisfying feeling being able to provide your own income. But there are definitely also downsides to being your own boss that people that are not in business often forget. Being unable to relax properly is one of them.
This is something I will still have to learn although I’m not sure where to start.
Any tips are welcome!
Follow Me @exyle
Hey my brother!
You ask for some advice but the way I see it you are giving us the advice!
Basically, understanding how to implement the segregation of time. A time of business , a time for family and a time for friends, each one should be mutually respectful of the other. I think it was so out of order to call you on Christmas Eve!
You handled it very well but I would have felt exactly the same. You are too nice a person to be disrespected like that. Tell people how you feel right from the beginning and set your benchmarks. You'll do fine after that, I promise you!
Take care, awesome @exyle! 😊
Thanks man! Dealing with business can be tough and I'm glad I can teach you something. But I do need help shutting business out when I should be relaxing. I think that would healthy for me. But that's hard. To steer your brain in that way!
I've been doing this for 17 years. I had some peaks and I hit some valleys (going through one of them at the moment).
What helped me the most was meditation and then running. Which is, for me, a form of meditation also, because I run slow but very long distances.
Discovering the world of ultra-marathoners helped me overcome my business problems as well. The secret is to start slow but to keep doing it. Not pumping my own stuff here, but I even wrote a book, you can find it on Amazon here (it's quite fresh, was launched on December 20th): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRVZK9V
Maybe i should start jogging again. It is a good way to clear your head once you get in that 'zone'.
Great post @exyle. My Dad has a saying, "Being self employed is great because you only work 1/2 days, you just have to pick the first 12 hours or the 2nd." I've seen him work a lot more than 12. But, I think it is worth it for many reasons. Also, thanks for your upvotes, i see your name on every one of my posts, thanks so much!
Thank you! And your dad is absolutely right. I wonder if he is also always busy with his work in his mind? You post good quality stuff it deserves upvotes!
Great to see so many Dutch people on Steemit! Veel succes! Following:)
Dankjewel! I'm not sure how many dutch are on here tbh. Jullie ook veel succes!
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Hiya - If it is of any interest, I use two resources that are indispensable for maintaining my own sanity and quality of life in the face of the ceaseless pressures of entrepreneurship, and the ever increasing pace and demands of technology and communications....
and whilst they may at first appear counter productive, the opposite is true.
Just sayin!
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