Owning and operating a successful business takes a different breed of people. The countless individuals who share business accomplishments in this magazine are able to not by chance, but because they told themselves they would stop at nothing to make it work, and they held to it.
You work hard to please your customers and keep revenue coming in. Even after office hours or on weekends, your phone is on hand. You work late and you go in early. And you do so willingly because business is unrelenting, and failing is not acceptable for your family and your employees.
While this style of work life that pours into personal life can certainly be rewarding, it is no doubt grueling and can sometimes wear you down.
Simple Pleasures
Earlier this week, my wife brought our 8-week-old daughter into the office for a lunch visit. I picked up some food from a local restaurant across the street and we sat down for 20 minutes and enjoyed a lunch together. I was thinking about them coming in all morning, and after they left I felt refreshed and ready to get back behind the keyboard. Something so simple brightened my whole day.
Finding small ways to treat yourself throughout the day makes a huge difference. It can be as simple as listening to good music; taking time to stop and grab a nice coffee; bringing your dog with you on a service route; or taking a few extra minutes to enjoy your lunch at a park. Keep in mind, taking care of your business means taking care of yourself, too.
Extend the Offer
Remember the same applies to those who work for you. Even though they might not have the workload and responsibilities that follow them home, encourage them to take a few minutes for themselves each day.
If possible, schedule things for your staff if they are up for it. Throughout the fall and winter here in the COLE Publishing office, we have a biweekly chili day. A rotating schedule among employees has two of us bringing in a batch of chili or soup every other Wednesday to share with the team. We sit down together, eat good food and talk. It’s a simple tradition, but one that we all look forward to.
Approving flexibility when appropriate helps your staff take care of themselves as well. As long as we are getting our work done and meeting deadlines, the culture here allows people to come and go throughout the day to run errands, meet family and friends for lunch, or simply take a longer break to get a good walk in — something I remind myself not to take for granted.
Your Influence
Incorporating these tiny treats into your workday isn’t a luxury, it’s an investment in your well-being and productivity. As a leader, your mood matters. If you come into the office upbeat and positive, it’s contagious. And the same is true when you show up crabby and unapproachable. By prioritizing and treating yourself, even in small ways, you can create a more positive work experience for yourself and everyone around you.
