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	Monthly Business e-Tips	Vol 5 Issue 8

Make Space—Clear Your Mind

"The mind ought to sometimes be diverted that it may return the better to thinking.”

Phaedrus

Most of us have taken a summer vacation by now and have spent time focusing on our lives away from work. People choose different ways to enjoy time off. Some sit on a beach and vegetate while others look for adventure. A few can’t relax unless they focus on work issues and constantly check their e-mails and messages. Others can blissfully forget that work exists. Still others enjoy the productivity of home projects and day trips. Personally, I enjoyed taking off many Fridays this summer and just returned from an annual ladies’ weekend at the Berkshires. While driving to Great Barrington with my friends, we talked about our challenges with work and family. We agreed to limit these discussions to the long car ride there and otherwise stayed present enjoying the weekend. The short respite from our daily issues was enough to renew our waning energy and spirits.

Why does it help to forget our daily demands for a while? It’s all about making space. Our minds are cluttered with details—what needs to be done, who we should call, what loose ends need to be tied up. We carry staggering to-do lists around in our heads, and eventually our minds get weighed down from the burden. We have to set these consuming thoughts aside, lift up our heads and look at the big picture. Ask yourself these questions: Am I meeting my personal goals? Do I have balance in my life? Does my business have the right strategy, serve the best markets, and satisfy the needs of my customers?

You cannot see the horizon if your head is buried in the minutiae, so make space physically and mentally to explore and discover the answers. A vacation, however brief, can help you step back, take a deep breath, and look ahead from a 50,000-foot view.

Consider the business benefits of clearing your mind by:

• Finding distance from the day-to-day routine. You can see more clearly by stepping away. Now you see the whole picture rather than its parts. You can better determine what you need to do next.
• Clarifying your goals. Now you can review your vision and strategic direction. Remember why you started your business in the first place. Reconnect with your passion.
• Realign your business with your life. Your business will bring you more joy if it is connected to your personal goals. They need to coexist and support each other. Finding space will let you assess whether they are working together.
• Reducing stress. Lessen tension and add energy and productivity to your work. You will be more open to deal with employee and customer issues.
• Allowing new thoughts and ideas to flow. Removing mind clutter will allow fresh ideas to surface.

Vacations serve to cleanse and revitalize our minds, attitudes and bodies. Whether you enjoy a month away or just a weekend, seize some time. Provide the space for your mind to revise your outlook and shape the path for what you want for your life and business.