I try as hard as I can to take Faye for very brisk 40 minutes walks 4-5 nights a week. Millbrook has oodles of well lit sidewalks and hilly streets that wind in loopy tree lined routes all around the village. If we walk after 11pm I rarely even see a car as the two of bustle along silently. I usually have my ipod motivating me as we go, but as I seem to have worn out yet another one, I have been starting to really dig the crunch of leaves underfoot and the sound of silence around me these past few days. At first I was a bit anxious without music filling my head, but tonight for the first time I let myself enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, these walks are a time when I mentally problem solve design issues and business stresses, so I am by no means in a meditative state. I have however started to realize that during the holiday craziness which has just begun, that it might do me a world of good to skip the music and just be.
I actually had a great conversation recently with an older veteran of the long hours and hard work of entrepreneurship who gave me some fantastic advice which really hit home. If you decide to take the time time to have a cup of coffee and read the paper, hang out with a friend, or spend some down time with your special someone...then really do it. Focus completely on enjoying that time, no matter how short it may be or how much work you know you have to do....if you don't take the time to enjoy your little snippets time off, you'll burn out and never be able to put in the long hours necessary.
Since I was offered that advice I have started to put it into action...I even sat on a couch Friday night for a few hours just being silly and watching tv with a special someone. I had a hard time letting myself let go at first, but I managed to get over myself and just do it. And you know what...it felt incredibly liberating to just stop and do nothing absolutely guilt free...I might just try it more often...
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