It is time, once again, for me to quote gapingvoid, a company focused on culture design:
“Your future self is more important than your present self.”
This statement made me smile. Why? Because as entrepreneurs, it is easy to focus on our organizations. As a Visionary, it is easy to focus on our next great idea (okay, the next 15 great ideas!). We are usually so absorbed in these endeavors that we forget about ourselves.
I had coffee with a business associate yesterday, and we both chuckled at the memory of an old business cartoon captioned, “No one ever went to their grave saying, ‘If I’d only gotten one more contract!’” The point in all of this is that we owe it to ourselves, our organizations, our families, and our friends to spend time focusing on ourselves.
There are lots of ways to work on your future self; it all depends on which aspect of your future self you want to work on. Today I am focusing on a Clarity Break™.
The purpose of clarity breaks is to take time to work “on” ourselves rather than only “in” the business. Schedule some alone time, get out of your office and home, take a deep breath, and clear out all the mental clutter. That may mean finding a quiet corner in your favorite coffee shop; or a picnic table at a local park; or any other comfortable place where you can be alone. And alone includes no electronics—so put that cell phone on airplane mode. Better yet leave it in the car.
Sit with a pad of paper and a pencil, and jot down whatever comes to mind. This is not a time to judge what comes to mind, simply write it down and see where it takes you. Sometimes this is where I find my best idea, or remember a “to do” that I missed. And it’s also a time when I clear out the head trash that is distracting me.
How often should you do this? Well it depends. I recommend at least every two weeks. Personally, I notice the effect when I don’t take a break every week. This is a time to work on you, and you deserve that. This time creates safety and stability, and you need that to focus on your future.
So pull out your scheduler, pick a day and time, and where it asks if you want to set this as a recurring meeting—hit ‘forever.” It’s time to create your future self.
Want more ideas on how to shape your future self? If you’d like to pick my brain, ask questions about clarity breaks, or learn more about EOS®, please fill out the consult form below to schedule a time to talk with me. Take the time to work on you. Shaping your future self with clarity breaks can bring you direction, refined purpose, and a better overall work-life balance.
