When you are run your own business, it is very easy to find yourself busy – ALL of the time.
When you aren’t answering the phone or replying to emails, you are speaking to clients, going to meetings and doing the work that you are being paid to do. All that rushing around and no time to think!
But as a small business owner, it is critical to make the time for mental space. And I am not just talking about spending valuable time on planning.
I am talking about time spent gazing out of the window watching the sun shine through the trees. I am talking about the time spent walking around your neighbour without listening to the latest podcast or business audio download.
It’s amazing how much clearer your business becomes and what the next stage of your action plan needs to be when you spend time leaning back in your chair – just gazing!
How do you create mental space for your business? Leave your thoughts as a comment below.
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I couldn’t agree more, Karen – mental space is vital if your business (and yourself) are to flourish.
One of my favourite ways of gathering some “mental space” is by using deep guided relaxation techniques: just by taking 30 minutes each day, it helps my day to flow with ease. It makes a huge difference to every aspect of my professional and personal life, as well as my business endeavours.
I also try (!) to get away from “business activities” and stretch my legs each lunchtime, even just a quick turn around Holland Gardens is enough to refresh me … or else potter in the garden, deadheading plants for a few moments. Nature is such a fabulous tonic for our spirits, don’t you find?
Strangely enough, even just a few brief moments on Twitter can also act as a mini-mental space clearing mechanism if I shy away from work-related tweets and browse the tweets of those who are slightly off-the-wall in their tweeting!!
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Hi,
I absolutely agree with this – for me it’s crucial to find some time to be mindful in how we work and most importantly, in what we choose to go after to get involved in. Its so easy to take too many things on, isn’t it? It’s then a case of stepping back and looking at priorities. Claire
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The only time you get to enjoy real quality time for yourself only happens during your week’s day-off. That for sure. Most of us working on something whether we are the boss or an ordinary employee, every kind of work requires a lot of thinking and physical delivery for you to show the best of your craft. That’s what you call Hardwork…
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Absolutely, Karen. My desk faces straight out onto the garden – I gain lots of inspiration for colour schemes and designs from what I see out there! There are two main ways I get that all important mental space inwhich to decide my next steps. I love swimming. I find I get into a rhythm and over the course of a mile or so can clear out all the thoughts I don’t want and allow space for new ideas.
I also find the company of others very beneficial. Like most small business owners, I spend most of my day liasing with clients, but there’s nothing like a quick chat with a good friend, fellow Mumpreneur or networking colleague to Pep me up when I get “stuck” with a project. Penny
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Hi Karen, I often go for a complete change of pace. I put on some loud music, the Dixie Chicks or Martine Mc Bride and do some ironing, cupboard clearing or floor scrubbing. My mind wanders free, I feel refreshed and I often get great ideas after the break.
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Wow! Thanks to everyone’s ideas on how they create space.
@ Callie – I like a good dead-head ;o) Used to do that all the time in our last house as we had the garden with the plants that needed it.
@ Martine – loud music works for me too. One of my favourite tracks for that is Prince “let’s Go Crazy”. Worked for me during my A Levels and still works for me now. (oops, am I giving my age away!!??!)
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Oh Yes! And what about Einstein? His daydreams were not a waste of time. He did his best thinking while daydreaming or playing violin. Mozart, he felt, had discovered the harmony of the universe.
We cheat ourselves of one of our best mental assets if we keep busy all the time. Our brains work better and process information more easily if we allow some mental space as Karen suggests. If you have a problem to solve sleep on it or go for a walk and usually you’ll discover a way forward.
Must get this Price track ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ and try for myself …..
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I have a horse and it is the mindless wandering around the field picking up poos that keeps me sane. You have to concentrate a bit harder when it is dark and you are wearing a head mounted torch to spot them.
The good thing about having your own business is you can sneek off during the day occassionally and see those you missed.
Each to their own – but mine is horses.
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I’ve enjoyed all your posts from the recent newsletter! But this one prompted me to post because I’ve just been for a fabulous walk on a beautiful day before sitting down to my task list for the day. Walking the dog is always something I feel takes time out of my day …. but without fail, I see things more clearly when I get back, ideas pop into my head as I’m walking and the overwhelming volume of work suddenly seems less daunting once I’ve distanced myself from it.
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Fresh air’s definitely the thinking space for me, preferably running or if pushed for time a short walk round the village or in the woods fits the bill.
A half-hour run in particular will usually resolve problems or give me new ideas or simply recharge the batteries to hit the ground running (no pun intended) when I return to the home office and/or meeting.
Running also gives me time to pray and/or meditate, so it ticks all the boxes for me.
“Leaders need time to think” Dr Tom Barrett, author of Dare to Dream and Work to Win – couldn’t agree more.
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