I’m very serious about my business. It’s important to me to do a good job so that my clients are happy with my work. I rely heavily on word of mouth and repeat business, so if someone is unhappy with my work, and that gets around, it could, possibly, bankrupt me, and put me out of business. There’s a lot of pressure.
So I push myself pretty hard. I spend long hours in front of my computer, sending emails and writing press releases. I make sure I maintain my relationships with the media, and am constantly seeking new ones. I drive myself pretty hard. Sometimes the day goes by, and I’ve forgotten to eat.
A couple of things have happened to me lately that have caused me to question my petal-to-the-metal workstyle. One was that I was feeling incredibly burnt out, so I took some time off over Christmas. Ahhhh…. lovely. The other was that I recently saw Michael Moore’s Sicko. There’s a scene where Moore is interviewing a bunch of French people, and they talk about their 35-hour work week and the huge amount of holidays they get every year. “If we’re happy, we’re more productive,” they say. Huh. Wow. Radical.
So, experiment time: what if I took breaks during the day? Got out of the house for a quick walk, stopped to eat? Is it possible that, by taking breaks, that, when I get back to my desk, my brain will be fresher, clearer, more focused, and I’ll be able to get through my to-do list faster and with less frustration? I know, it sounds crazy, right?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. And I’ll let you know how it goes, but after my coffee break.
