A time-out in football is a break in the action by either team or an official. It gives both teams a few seconds to gather themselves and strategize their next plan of attack. It can be prompted by the officials to give them time to analyze a play and make a determination. It gives the fans a lull in their adrenaline rushes.
A team can prepare for time-outs by orchestrating plays that gain large chunks of yardage. A team can also conserve their time-outs by simply moving the ball down the field and scoring.
When was the last time you took a time-out to evaluate your business plays and to plan your next system of action? How often do you take time away – a personal retreat – to analyze, strategize, prioritize, and harmonize?
I urge you to take at least one day a month to get away from your desk or workspace to clear your head and re-set your personal business clock. Then, take at least one weekend a year to go somewhere relaxing and have your own personal retreat.
If you have a family to care for, it might just be a day trip. You can prepare for your own time-out by orchestrating client work flow for maximum efficiency and productivity.
Analyze – What’s working and not working in your business? Which marketing efforts are producing the most results? Which efforts are more trouble than they’re worth? Is it time to outsource some mundane tasks to free you up to use your strengths more effectively? Do you need to eliminate some non-productive tasks? Draw a line vertically down the center of a page and make a list of your answers.
Strategize – Make a list of what you want/need to accomplish in the next year. Use strategic planning to map out the most important projects that need to be done to take your business down the field to the next level. Make a list of what you can do to not become intellectually and emotionally stagnant in your business and life.
Prioritize – Write down three important action steps you want to accomplish tomorrow. Next week. Next Month. Next year. Arrange the list according to priority – what will make the big play for you? Do those first.
Harmonize – List ways you can bring more balance to your life. What can you build into your daily schedule to aid in balancing your work and life? Taking an hour a day to stretch and exercise? Taking 15 minutes to meditate or read something inspirational? Taking 5 minutes to just breathe deeply? We humans are at our best when we have a balanced, harmonized life. After all, we take time to eat and brush our teeth. Make harmony a daily routine.
Instead of putting yourself on a chair in the corner, take a drive away from your workspace to re-focus on what’s important in your business and life. Accept a break in the action. De-toxify yourself from the daily addiction to adrenaline. You’ll return refreshed, renewed, and revived to take on new challenges with relentless pursuit.
Is it time for a time-out?
