Just a short & sweet one from me this week guys!
Mainly because we’re off sea kayaking in Sardinia tomorrow for our very first member retreat (not sure I’m ready for 38 degree heat!) and I haven’t had a proper break in a foreign country for about 3-4 years so I am all out of practice with packing & organising! 🙈
However this made me think about 2 things for this weeks newsletter:
1. Cashflow is a b*tch
After a month of unexpected bills and costs seemingly out of nowhere, I’m sat here 24 hours away from being on a plane to a lovely place with awesome people, wondering what the hell I’m doing 😫
The trip was booked when we had a surplus and everything was dandy but right now I’m thinking about how great it would be to avoid the extra expense.
However, it’s not an expense. It’s an investment.
I’ll explain…
2. Time out
Breaks away from the business give the brain the time it needs to do the cognitive processing subconsciously and, in plain terms, sort the crap from the good.
I have to keep reminding myself that some of my best thinking has come from substantial time off and that this break probably isn’t actually long enough or ‘away from work enough’ so another trip should be booked not long after to get the real effects.
I’ve said it before but I’ll reiterate – the glamorisation of ‘no days off’ in startups isn’t cool. Yes, it’s often necessary, especially in the early days when you need to get that traction, but as soon as you’ve got the ball rolling, I would highly recommend focusing on work/life balance to ensure productivity.
Only just recently I heard a talk from an ad agency owner in London who operates a non-optional 4 day work week – employees must take one day off in the week. The result of this has seen their productivity soar, profits almost double and naturally, PR & job applications go through the roof. What fascinated me about this is that they also consider this ‘front-loading retirement’ as they realise there’s a ‘cliff’ when people retire which refers to the fact people don’t know who they are when they get an actually free day. By then, weekends are planned and work is work. What do you do with 5 new days available? Well, the answer is easier if you’ve already spent your Tuesdays for 30 years mountain biking, doing yoga, walking, sailing or writing novels.
It’s all of this thinking that makes me actually ok with the expense of the trip I’m taking and the ones I promise I’ll take more of.
They’re an investment in your mind, your body, your business, your sanity. Mental health is high on my agenda for founders & staff and that should mean me too.
Right, I’m off to pack. Hope this short & sweet newsletter has been alright. Back to my normal ramblings next week, don’t worry 😉
Enjoy the sun everyone.
Oh and by the way…
Football’s coming home 😉😂😎⚽🎉
