This is probably a good time of year to think recharging yourself. The holiday season has essentially been with us since the first Christmas trees started to appear at Home Depot—in August, grrr. Perhaps you’re feeling tired. The year is winding down, or so it may seem. And now is the ideal time to start preparing for next year.
What? Next year? Well, yes. Even if you don’t run a business, a few tips for recharging your entrepreneurial batteries are not amiss. Trust me, as an accidental entrepreneur, I wonder at my enthusiasm for this stuff, but I’ve finally learned that it’s better to take action than not.
Herewith, a few ideas borrowed liberally from Rene Shimada Siegel of High Tech Connect. Rene has forever endeared herself to me by confessing that she periodically needs to think about what to do when her “pilot light goes out.”
- Sweat ‒ As in work up an honest sweat by moving your body. My favorite place is the track at San Mateo High School, home of the legendary Bearcats. I walk as fast as I can for at least four outer loops and then trot home. The nicest part of the experience is that I am free to think about whatever without having to worry about tripping over curbs (a specialty) or watching out for traffic. And it’s fun to see football and soccer practice.
- Whine ‒ No, not all the time and only to trusted advisors or peers. I take comfort in the fact that apparently former presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush exchanged thoughts, probably about those f****rs in Congress who made their jobs so much more difficult.
- Play ‒ No, not all the time, but enough. Do something that “refills your bucket.” Not someone else’s. I still reflect on a conversation with a fellow introvert who shared how much she had squirmed during a vacation cruise—where she was literally surrounded by people from the moment she woke up until beddie-bye time. Her (wildly extroverted) husband was ecstatic at the stimulation; she was ready to jump into the Mediterranean.
- Think ‒ After noting that we all spend too much time on “unnecessary or even misguided activity,” Rene says, “Give yourself some unstructured time to think about what’s frustrating you and what’s holding back your business. And take notes.”
What do you do to recharge your batteries?
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