Hot summer days 

Freshly cut grass

8 pm sunsets

What can you do when these things make you feel like you need to slow down and chill (but you have a business to run)?

The challenge:

This physical, mental, and emotional urge competes with the to-do lists, networking, and business growth that don’t stop just because it’s summer.

If you ever feel guilty about slowing down and taking time off in the summer, I’m going to give you some great reasons to do it – essentially, permission!

***It’s good for your health, relationships,

AND business***

I received an email from my business coach, and it felt like I got a “get out of summer guilt” pass.

It hit me like a water balloon on a hot day – refreshing and a jolt into a new mindset.

It made me see summer in a totally different way.

“What if you looked at it as an opportunity? 

It’s a time to slow down and be thoughtful in your decisions.

It’s actually easier to do in the summertime [because] it’s a natural time to power down on vacations and time off.”

Instead of feeling guilty and working hard to fight your natural urge…

“What if it’s a time to take a break and reflect? Sit on the beach or on the lake and do a check-in with your life and business.”  – Laura West, CEO, Center for Joyful Business

What if being less frenzied was actually the smart choice right now?

I’m still working in and on my business during the summer, but now taking time off is part of my business plan. Instead of something I do, after and if everything else gets done (it never does), it’s an essential business activity.

I’m being:

• More thoughtful about the actions I choose to take
• Setting appointments on my calendar to unplug; and I keep them, by treating them like client appointments.

It’s already making a difference in my energy, focus, anxiety, and guilt.

Linda and Lennie – part of a collection I love to paint during my downtime!

I’m applying the advice from Laura’s thought-provoking blog to the pull of summer.

Her blog also offers a new perspective on managing another phenomenon that happens during the summer. It’s a planetary shift called Mercury in retrograde.

It happens 3 times a year, and, “it is said that intuition is high during these periods…” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. They explain what it is and offer some specific do’s and don’ts. I recommend you do read Laura’s blog for the best advice I’ve seen, and don’t freak out.