This article is adapted from a story I wrote for Roam.
Ann Voskamp’s words leapt off the screen and tugged at me the other day.
The bits of me that fuel my entrepreneurial fire are the same bits of me that cause internal friction when I work to rest. Truly, I have to work to rest, and will my mind to be still and recharge.
Anyone else? I mean, I dream about work ideas in yoga class and have a tough time picking a book over Wi-Fi on most flights.
Today, I want to give you a few ideas for recharging well, so you can return sharper and better than before to serve your work.
1. Take a digital detox.
You likely clock copious amounts of screen-time, caught in the Internet loop — email, Skimm, Facebook, messaging, Instagram, wash, repeat — daily. Set a goal to take a “no screens” day one day weekly or bi-weekly. Internet gems like early Twitter employee Claire Diaz-Ortiz and speaker Lara Casey practice regular digital detoxes, and articles from Fast Company to Huffington Post laud the practice (check out HuffPo’s full news page devoted to the topic here).
Key points? Prep that auto-responder and schedule updates beforehand, alert the important folks or clients, and make it public to manage all the peoples’ expectations.
2. Hit vaca goals.
At the start of every year, walk through each quarter and block off anticipated vacation days (and hey, who says June can’t be a second January if you’ve never done this before). You’re likely aware that millions of Americans let vacation days go unused each year, so remedy that in advance! Plywood People founder Jeff Shinabarger told me once to regularly schedule weekends away from Atlanta, just to get out of the city. At Illume Retreat, Cottage Hill magazine founder Katie O. Selvidge, urged me to work in a weekly no-phones field trip briefly each week: like hoofing around the old park I used to live by, or going to a coffee shop on the river. Either way, Jeff and Katie testify that a vacation doesn’t have to involve wheels up.
3. Read fiction.
My pastor at Trinity Anglican Mission said something that’s stuck with me for years: every fifth book you read, make it a fiction book. How great of an idea is that!? It’s my pink permission slip to read whatever fiction book I want.
4. Make a gratitude journal.
Isn’t One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp the best? Psychologists have praised the mental benefits of recharging by listing gifts and blessings for decades. An easy fix? Keep a simple journal on your desk, and before cracking open your inbox in the morning, jot down three things worth being thankful.
5. Outsource something.
“Every Thursday, quit something,” Bob Goff says. If you scribble down a list, what’s in the “Things Only I Can Do” column, and what falls into “Things Someone Else Can Do” or “Things I Should Stop Doing” categories? Cleaning the house is a great candidate for this, but simple things like email template systems answer to tech’s outsourcing options. Carve out mini times of rest and recharge with an outsourced task or two.
Reading Time: 3 Minutes
The bits of me that fuel my entrepreneurial fire are the same bits of me that cause internal friction when I work to rest. Truly, I have to work to rest, and will my mind to be still and recharge.
Anyone else? I mean, I dream about work ideas in yoga class and have a tough time picking a book over Wi-Fi on most flights.
Today, I want to give you a few ideas for recharging well, so you can return sharper and better than before to serve your work.