I’m one of those obnoxious guys that is up every morning at 4:30 a.m. It’s a great time to get in a workout, jog for a few miles, and clear the mind for the day. This morning I was sitting on the porch watching as the night sky was chased away by rising sun – It’s amazing how much of a difference 15 minutes makes! Why was I sitting on the porch watching this when there’s loads of work  calling… I mean screaming my name? Well, I’ve generally found that when I get myself into a rut, when I begin to feel overwhelmed with the demands of running multiple blogs, websites, responding to emails, posting on Twitter, LinkedIn etc – It helps to give myself a change of pace – If only for a little while.

I do quite a bit of writing. Blogging, emails, presentations, seminars, how to guides, reports, web-copy,  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH… Ever felt like that before? I have. Yet something as deceptively simple as giving your brain a few moments to enjoy a new sensation, surrounding, and stimuli can have an amazing impact! That’s what I did this morning. As I jogged I was contemplating that my inbox registered 58 unread emails before I went to bed last night.I also had the unwelcome reminder that I need to prepare a 64 slide presentation for business owners to be delivered tomorrow at 2:30 – Ugh…

I actually enjoy all of these activities, but toss all of them into the same bucket with a heaping mixture of phones ringing off the hook and deadlines to be met and it’s easy to find yourself typing AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH all over again. Do you operate at your best when rushed, stressed, and feeling over-worked? Not many of us do. Sometimes I can feel the creativity just melt away when I feel there’s too much to be done, and I’ve already delegated plenty to my assistant. What to do?

Go watch the sunrise – Have dinner at a new location with foods you’ve always wanted to try, experience new music, ponder the unponderables, and laugh a whole heck of a lot at a funny show or movie. I’m telling you it works. I often feel like a broken record with what I type and teach, but then I realize that it’s just me. I’m subjecting myself to the same old messages and surroundings over and over again, and the brain reaches a limit.

Simply taking a 30 minute jog around the neighborhood at 4:30 a.m. with everything so quiet and peaceful was a great relief for me. I tossed in a 15 minute session of watching the sun rise, and I suddenly felt rejuvenated! Was this a career-changing experience? Nope. That’s not what I was looking for, just a momentary pause while I found and pressed the “reset” button. I must say I’m feeling good today…

Chad Weber
Loan Officer Marketing Lab
http://www.loanofficermarketinglab.com