Do you make Time to Step Back, Reflect and Recharge?

Not wanting to gloat I am at the start of week three of my holiday exploring northern Italy.  When we packed I included a number of business books that are on my reading list as well as post-it notes, pens and paper to plan and create my TED style talk around the Who and the Why being essential components to every company’s Brand Essence.

Two weeks in I haven’t turned a single page of a business book preferring instead to escape to worlds of fiction and philosophy, and the only thing I’ve written is a shopping list.

I have decided that those books are going to stay closed and the pens and post-it notes will remain in my case.

Why? I hear some people asking. Surely the spare time available while we are on holiday is perfect for catching up with business books, acquiring new learning and discovering inspiration from other leaders and business gurus?

Having taken the time to reflect, a holiday for me is about stepping back from daily routine with work and its associated pressures while I spend valuable time with my family and enjoy the stillness and space created by doing nothing.   Lying or walking in the sunshine surrounded by beautiful views like these I find myself in the perfect environment to step back from the detail and reflect on the bigger picture – on life, relationships, business, success, failure, visions, goals and plans.  To me this invaluable.

There is a lot of talk about how the most creative and innovative ideas are found ‘in the space between’.  How can we hope to access these ideas while we fill our lives with busy-ness?  While we can try and grab moments of quiet amongst the demands of everyday life, giving ourselves permission to switch off for longer periods of time such as while on holiday has valuable benefits.  Not only are we stepping back from life for a while to reflect, we are also clearing the mind fog that prevents us from seeing clearly, recharging our energy resources for the coming months, and creating a valuable ‘space’ from where our natural creativity can flow.

So, when you are next packing for your vacation think about leaving work completely behind and creating a space to just ‘be’. (Of course you’ll also be creating more space for the little treats and duty free you might want to bring home 🙂