Rethink Your Errands

The past two weeks, we have explored www.WebMD.com's five tips to keep your mind safe from burnout, specifically focusing on the first two suggestions. As a reminder, those five tips are:

1. Build downtime into your schedule.
2. Drop activities that sap your time and energy.
3. Rethink your errands.
4. Get moving.
5. Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way.

The third tip can be looked at in several different ways, in my opinion, and can also tie into other activities. Many time management gurus may lead you to believe that, as a small business owner, you should have team members who can run errands for your business. The time of these team members is unquestionably not as expensive as your time.

An alternative perspective is that you may WANT to run a few errands. Let's think about it this way:  chances are you are in your office from very early to very late working on various projects that must be completed. A little fresh air, a little change of scenery will relax your mind and actually make you MORE productive! Clearing your mind of your projects for just a few minutes while running errands can open your mind to that brilliant breakthrough idea for which you were searching.

Another suggestion we should think about is running errands around lunch time. No, I am not advocating skipping lunch, or even getting your lunch from a drive-thru just to eat while driving or back at your desk. Plan your route so that you can spend a few minutes at a favorite lunch spot--another way to keep your body nourished with the food it needs, while relaxing your mind. What about those afternoon errands? Swing by your favorite coffee shop for a short coffee break.

So maybe you do not even LIKE running errands. There is a simple solution for that:  do not run errands! Have someone else handle them for you. This someone else could be a team member or a service-for-hire. There are people who enjoy shopping for anything from groceries to gifts, as well as making deliveries, and are usually available for a small fee. There is no set formula for how this works best for you.

Do you have other suggestions for rethinking your errands? I welcome your questions and comments. Contact me at Traci@BassProfessionalConsultingLLC.com or (478) 951-9298. You can also get a no-obligation assessment of your needs and initial quote to meet your business needs.