This is a collaboration blog by Erika Del Sordo and Meredith Kimmel, ACC. This blog can also be found at www.TodaysTalkwithErika.com.
In similar words, “Don’t Lose Momentum!” You see, a couple of weeks ago, Meredith and I wrote a blog called; “When You Have Balance, You Have Momentum.” It was mainly about keeping the work/life balance in order to keep momentum, which in turn makes you more productive. Well, we don’t want you to lose that.
Summertime typically means fun. School’s out, work is put on the backburner most days and vacation-mode and pool parties set-in to the picture. (Unless you’re Meredith or me. #workaholics)
It’s easy though to let the momentum that you’ve worked so hard to build for the past six months fall to the wayside.
The former blog about Momentum had Meredith and me reminding you that it’s okay to take a break every once in a while. Whether it’s a dinner with friends or a week-long vacation, giving yourself time to unwind actually makes you more productive. BUT NOW we would like to remind you to remember that letting your goals and work Momentum slide will actually set you back.
Cell Phones, TVs and Waterslides, OH MY!
Think about when you’re thinking really hard about something. You’re completely focused on your phone, laptop, or tablet when all of a sudden you have this urge to just look up. You gaze at the TV. Your mind turns to mush for a moment. You just needed to give your brain a rest. It was about to send out a smoke signal! And really, if it gets that bad, jump on a waterslide.
THAT’S how it is with keeping the Momentum going during the Summertime. Allow yourself that “Summertime Play,” but then remember that you MUST continue to be serious and focus on your personal growth. You want to ‘slide’ into Fall with your Momentum still intact.
Meredith and I tend to focus on the entrepreneurial worker. Those who have personal interest in their line of work. Someone who owns their own business. If you work a 9-5 job, it’s a lot easier for you to forget about work over the weekend. *Not all of you, but for most 9-5ers. If you don’t have to take your work home with you, it’s easy to just pop out for a week or two on some mystical Summertime vacation.
But for the entrepreneur, we wince at the thought of the dreaded vacation. That means time lost moving our business forward. If done right, that doesn’t have to be the case. As an entrepreneur, you can always take your work with you on “vacation.” But with gas prices and everything else on the rise these days, we ALL wince at driving down to the corner store just to pick up milk! Who would even want to go on vacation?!
I’ll wrap my part up by saying this:
- Momentum and Balance really do go hand-in-hand.
- Keep your eyes set on your personal goal(s).
- Remember to take a break for a bit to activate the creative juices.
- Remember to not lose sight of your work momentum during Summertime.
- But if you really need to, jump on a waterslide. Then, get back to work.
What do you think Meredith?
Erika, I agree with everything you said. It is so important to keep Momentum, but also take that break to avoid overwhelm and burnout.
The Summertime is typically the lazy days, travel time, casual dress at the office. It’s the time to perhaps “slack” off a little bit. This is not actually recharging your internal battery so that you have balance. This is actual laziness. We don’t want to fall into the trap of being lazy and losing Momentum. Because, before you know it, Fall will be here, and everything will be back in full swing.
Keep Balance without Losing Momentum
Since we want to avoid laziness, and we do need to recharge our internal battery, without losing momentum, what should we do?
If you can, try to take a long weekend, or even a week off. If you can’t, see if you can schedule some time to get a massage, or some pampering. It is especially important to shut that phone off for at least an hour. You can find time to do that.
If you feel like you are slacking, go back to your goals. Don’t lose sight of them. This is your purpose, and this is your why. Use this to find the motivation to keep you going. Even if you feel like you are not making substantial progress, taking baby steps will get you there. You can work in inches instead of miles.
For the entrepreneurs out there, take that vacation, or go to that retreat. Take your laptop with you and carve out an hour a day to check in on your business and work on your goals. This would ease any guilt you may have about being away from your business.
Mid-Year Check-In
We are into July, so it’s a suitable time to have that mid-year check in on your goals. Are you working on them? Are you avoiding them? Is something else going on? Do you even want these goals anymore? This may be why you are losing momentum or out of balance. You may not want this goal anymore. Perhaps it is time to let that goal go, and that is absolutely okay. By letting a goal go, you can avoid the overwhelm, burnout, laziness, or procrastination.
July is a wonderful time to evaluate your goals!!
You can evaluate your progress (or lack thereof). This will keep you in momentum and in balance. Another reason why July is a wonderful time to evaluate goals, is because of what we said above, summertime may be slower and a little lazier. By checking your progress on your goals, you may see where you need to catch up, slow down, or even if you still want that goal.
It’s okay to let go of goals. It’s actually healthy. We change, we grow, we expand. Six months ago, you may have wanted something, and now you don’t. No need to pursue something that no longer resonates with you, just to accomplish a goal and check a box.
Stay in momentum this Summer, so that once Fall comes around, you will be in a strong position to finish the year off successfully.
