Recharge your battery

With Memorial Day Holiday weekend comes the summer and many have big plans for the extended break from work and will focus on activities that will help them feel refreshed and rejuvenated. Some plan for months on travel and related activities that they look forward to and will bring them enjoyment. It is a great time to have fun at the beginning of the summer, rather than Labor Day, which is the end of the summer and then its over.
I look at any break like this as an opportunity to “recharge my battery”, as the saying goes. For me, I look for ways to relax and enjoy the time, and set vision for the months ahead. Here are some ways I use time like this to recharge myself and some patterns that help me better me.

• Don’t let things go: By the end of the day, resolve any issues with family, friends, and business associates. Don’t ignore things that we can resolve. Baggage doesn’t help anybody, so get rid of it. If something is not contributing to your goal, then get rid of it.

• Leave your problems at the door: I always have a mental box outside wherever I go and mentally empty my problems in that box before I go in. Don’t drag personal challenges into a business meeting, and vice-versa. Problems and challenges will always be there, the opportunity to make an impact on a person may not.

• Plan tomorrow: It’s crucial that we plan for the next day and think through the details like what we will wear, etc, so that we can focus on accomplishing what we want. You would be surprised how much this frees us up mentally to concentrate on our goals.

• Have a vision for where you will end up: We need to see ourselves standing with that medal, or receiving the award, or enjoying the accomplishments we have worked so hard for. See it as clear as you can and strive for it.

• Don’t be so hard on yourself: At times we all need to adjust and adapt as circumstances change. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t succeed. If Thomas Edison hadn’t failed 6000 times, we would not have the light bulb today. So, stay the course and reflect on the good you have done. Constructively look at areas where you can improve and strive for perfection.

You may find these points helpful in the race of life and should enable you to move ahead without the shackles weighing you down. And finally, take time periodically to reflect on where you have been and most importantly, where you are going. The best long distance runners are benchmarking where they are and rarely look back because it is energy that could be used in moving forward. Hit the tape strong!

Ignite your passion!