"That's all very well and good, but I simply don't have time!"
A few weeks ago I stuck my neck out, making the case for seeing ‘taking space’ as a valid business activity that’s crucial for us to do our best work. I said we shouldn’t feel like we’re slacking off or doing something naughty when we step away from our desks in the middle of the day. (You can read that blog here if you missed it.)
Controversial, eh?!
Turns out that was exactly what many folks needed to hear – I received SO many positive responses!
I love that you're on board with the idea that to do good work we need space to ‘be’ as well as to ‘do’. It gives me hope that things are shifting in what I believe to be the right direction.
And I know it’s often easier said than done.
I know you might be reading this and thinking “that’s all very well and good, Louise, but how on earth do I fit that in on top of everything else I’ve got going on? Taking space is an indulgence I just can’t afford!”
I hear you. Really, I do.
Back when I was a stressed-out, high-achieving, over-worked Team Leader if someone had told me to take regular breaks I’d have wanted to wallop them.
And yet…
They’d have been right. (And deep down I knew it.)
When I was tangled in the weeds, keeping my head down and carrying on didn’t help. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for me, what helped was my GP diagnosing work-related stress and anxiety and basically forcing me to stop.
But that’s a story for a different day.
Today, I want to ask you a question:
If you truly believe it’s not possible for you to take some space, is that ok?
Are you happy with that?
Or does something need to shift.
If you’re struggling, craving a little more space so you can ditch the overwhelm and bring more fun into your life, maybe it’s time to ask some Big Questions.
Big Questions like:
Is your business model working for you?
Are you spending time on tasks that aren’t actually benefiting you or your business?
Are you overcomplicating things in your business?
Are you saying ‘yes’ to too many things and are those things taking more time than they need to?
Is it time to ask for support?
If you’re feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, the answers to these questions might give you some valuable insights and ideas of how you might do things differently.
The trouble is, the bigness of these questions makes them tricky to answer in a stolen ten minutes between Zoom calls.
And therein lies the Catch-22.
You’re rushing around with too much to do…
...you’d love to have more space…
...but creating more space means asking Big Questions...
...and answering Big Questions requires space…
…space you don’t have when you’re rushing around with too much to do. 😫😫😫
It truly is a conundrum!
When you spend so much time working IN your business that there’s no space to work ON your business, it’s impossible to calmly assess what is and isn’t working and to come up with ideas to make things better.
And so you continue spinning your wheels, frazzled, frustrated and exhausted and lacking the capacity to do anything about it.
I wish I had a magic wand, I really do.
But I don’t. Nobody does.
So I’m afraid I have to be the annoying one (and risk getting walloped) by telling you to slow down and take a break, even when - especially when - you’re totally up against it.
It may not feel like it, but switching off completely and doing something different is good for business. (As Jenn so beautifully put it, “a half-hour task can take four hours if I’m not rested.”)
Taking time out can be part of your working day, and there’s truly no need to feel guilty about it.
So I invite you to consider what might that look like for you.
How might you make it a priority?
Put it in your calendar – even if it’s simply 15-minutes every day where you step away from your screens and sit in the sunshine with your favourite brew and a chocolate hob-nob.
So, what small thing will you to do this week to give yourself a little space? I’d love to know - please do share in the comments below.
Need a little help finding space to work ON rather than IN your business? Feel free to get in touch, let me know what’s going on for you right now and let’s see if I can help.