LEARNING TO LOVE THE WATER BREAK

I love writing about a variety of topics: business development, cold calling, my work in the nonprofit field and several other topics. For the most part, my posts are fueled by live experiences.

I wanted to continue this and of course, have something valuable to contribute. I was really struggling to come up with ideas. This is because over the past two weeks, I've been in a transition mode. I'm looking forward to sharing a lot more about this in the coming weeks.

It's been a true challenge to take a break and accept that several things about the transition were out of my hands. I am proud to say; however, that I've been doing a few things that have not only kept me sane but will put me in a good place once I'm back. So, here are three recommendations I hope you'll find helpful if you too are in a transition mode - or just need a break:

Find your groundwire: Remember the BIG REASON for why you do what you do. If you're in it for the long haul, a few days of change, inactivity or transition isn't going to change the trajactory of your mission.


Take the time to do some other stuff you enjoy: Let's face it, sometimes you're just going to have to be away from whatever your top passion is. But chances are if you're passionate one thing, there are a few others you enjoy too. Now is the perfect time to spend on a long(er) run, playing the guitar, seeing that silly movie (I admit it, I might go see the Expendables 3) or binge watching your favorite show (see: Hannibal, Rules of Engagement).

Do Some Planning and Dreaming: OK, so you can't make your calls, get out your proposals, and do those hardcore things you love to check off on the to-do list. But you can pull out your notebook - or hit up your Evernote notebook/folder that you use for Big Planning. Do some day dreaming, strategizing and come up with three ideas that you want to spend some time on once you're back to it.

​At the end of the day, to use some "runner speak", if you're mission is a marathon, this moment is an important water break. So, instead of grabbing the water, swilling it down, tossing the cup and moving on, do the opposite (think: George Costanza!). Enjoy it. Thank those awesome volunteers (clients? friends?). And know that your breaks and rehydration are an equally important part of your run.