Hello friend,
My family has asked that I take some time off. Apparently, the Grinch is REAL. Apparently, the Grinch lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and operates Crippled Beagle Publishing. Ha! I'm sure you, too, KNOW how hard it is to stop thinking/producing/working/writing. How do you completely relax? I'd love to learn from you. Obviously, I need them. I decided to do a little research in order to convince myself to actually "chill out" these last few days of 2021. I read several articles and have listed highlights below. Enjoy!
Types of rest:
- Sleep. Duh.
- Naps. I can NOT nap. I wake up thinking I've killed someone and must hide the body. What is wrong with me?
- Yoga. You can't tell from the outside, but I do practice yoga, and it does help with my inside. Ha!
- Quiet walks. C.S. Lewis preferred no conversation during his frequent walks. I like to walk alone, but mostly because I'm slow.
- Prayer. I love to chat with God, aloud, on my way home from dropping Scotty off at school. Other drivers probably think I'm nuts, but God knows.
- "Mindless" activities that require little physical effort---like knitting, coloring, folding laundry, weeding flower beds. There's plenty of mindless housework to do in my rancher. Maybe I'll try some.
- Extra-long showers. Good luck showering, ever, without a child knocking or cat scratching at the door.
- Bubble baths. I doubt there's a tub in my old house that will "stop up" completely. I'll give it a shot sometime. Please try not to picture me naked. Sorry. Ha!
- UNPLUGGING from the digital world (particularly social media). This is HARD. I'm good on Sundays, but the rest of the week? Hmmm...something to improve.
Benefits—Don't these sound fantastic?
- The opportunity to daydream with a non-cluttered mind
- Emotional stability
- Physical recovery
- Stress reduction
- Improved immunity
- Improved energy
- MORE IDEAS!
- BETTER productivity
Entrepreneurs are often accused of being workaholics. I think we are just passionate about what we do. Plus, we feel an overwhelming sense of obligation to and gratitude for our clients. No matter our motivation, many people often work too many hours, which is actually counterproductive. In order to improve my business and free up more time to focus on health, family, friends, and fun, I made some major changes at Crippled Beagle Publishing this year. I've streamlined processes and set up standard operating procedures. I batch work, which saves my time and my clients' money. Batching also helps my team complete projects faster. I intentionally say NO to things that will absorb time, money, or energy I don't want to spend. Since I started this on October 1, I've politely said no to THIRTY-SIX tasks/obligations/events/whatever. Wow. And this is a big one (scary and expensive)—I hired more help.
Another idea I ran across is to completely restructure the workday. Last week, I looked back on my Google calendar and noticed that I almost never took a true lunch break between September 1 and December 23. My mind, lower back, and creative spirit really need a mid-day break, but I'm a workhorse. I have literally eaten lunch at my desk when the living room and kitchen are right down the hall. I don't trust myself, so my solution is to leave my office and drive to my yoga studio at noon every workday. I shall force myself to rest! I spotted another trend on my Google calendar. My schedule stretched from 5:00 a.m. to sometimes 7:00 p.m. No wonder I'm the Grinch.
Ernest Hemingway advised to, "... always stop when you know what is going to happen next." So, in order to de-Grinch, I will also force myself to walk out of my office and to the front door when my husband Jeff gets home from work. When I hear the door open, I'll know what's next. I will shut down my computer, leave my office, and give Mr. Dyer a big hug.
In order to be the perfect wife and mother, get the rest I need, and work more productively and efficiently for YOU in 2022, I am taking this last week of 2021 completely off. I pray you have a wonderful last week of 2021, and I can't wait to help you meet your goals next year!
xoxoxoxo
Jody
P.S. If you are an author and planning your book marketing for next year (which you should be doing NOW even if you haven't started writing), here's a great free resource my team and I use. Click HERE to download the Annual Book Marketing Planner.
BEFORE:
DURING:
BRING ON 2022!!!
