Happy Labor Day!
Since Labor Day is a national holiday, most people typically celebrate by taking time off to enjoy family, traveling, or rest. However, I find that authors, business leaders, and non-profit directors sometimes have extreme difficulty breaking away from their work to relax. They succumb to a constant desire to create, connect with their audience, or manage all the duties of running an organization. Some of you reading this email are working right now, rather than resting. National holidays are nice, because they give everyone a reason to slow down. But, I’d argue that 10 federal days off per year is nowhere near enough time to keep the soul recharged.
So, this week’s marketing tip is to make rest a priority. Taking time to rest directly relates to marketing, since you can’t remain creative if you never give your brain a chance to reset. For instance, when you rest, do you give yourself the freedom and priority to fully break away from your all of writing or business responsibilities? Or, are you the type who constantly checks email on vacation, or spends your time off trying to get ahead in the office or get ahead on your next book manuscript?
Some of my clients have confessed that resting is the most difficult challenge they face. They work like crazy, and over time they feel like their candle is burning at both ends, which saps them mentally, physically, and spiritually. The problem is that it’s usually too late when we recognize the real need for rest. The light bulb goes off in our head when a health concern demands that we slow down, or an important relationship suffers from being too driven or distracted.
This week, take a moment to do two things:
1) Set aside at least two hours before next Monday to really rest, such as go on a relaxing walk, play extra with your children, take a mid-day nap, go out to dinner with your spouse, etc. Whatever you do, give yourself the freedom to fully disconnect from work. If resting is difficult for you, start making this activity a weekly priority.
2) Commit to going on a multi-day vacation sometime in the next 3 – 4 months. Go somewhere that helps you recharge. If money is tight, stay in a local hotel, visit a friend, rent a cabin in the woods, go on an outdoor adventure, etc.
Prioritize periods of rest and commit to it on your calendar. Then, you’ll have the energy you need to keep your marketing message spreading like wildfire throughout the year.
