August when you can’t unplug

In the Northern Hemisphere typically August is a month for slowing down at work, taking vacations, generally recharging the batteries, even “unplugging” completely.

Of course, this year in a pandemic so much is not as before, yet I am finding most people are seeking to still look to maintain that balance, even if they can’t take a long vacation and really can’t unplug as before.

In working with clients over many years, a key element of our work is always around performance, starting with awareness, then conscious choices around balance, whether physically, mentally, emotionally.

As this is for the individual it is also, in leading a business, the same for the team (and important the leader supports the team with their own balance too) and the business itself (if the business operations slow down in summer, I always encourage leaders to make time to look ahead and more long term and truly strategically).

Now, I am not taking a vacation this summer due to the pandemic, but I am consciously acting to find balance in the summer and particularly in August.

I’ll now share a few as they may support you placing some focus on your own balance. Even when we can’t fully “unplug”, we can take conscious action to find balance in August.

So, a few thoughts on what I am doing to find balance this August:

Personal Balance

• As lockdown eased in England a little around May, I focussed more on fitness.
• I have been riding my bike at least two hours about three times per week, typically early morning two weekdays and once at the weekend.
• Am also now (since it was permitted around end of June) am back to 1:1 Pilates equipment sessions with my trainer, typically mid morning weekdays.
• PS as you can see, I tend to leave space in the mornings where I can, something aided by a number of my clients being in the Americas, so they are at least five hours behind 😉
• Golf. Am really energised to have got back on the golf course for the first time for well over a decade and looking to make it more regular. Last week one game created an exceptional flow experience, I blogged about it here. Am now looking to play at least one or two weekday afternoons while the weather is good.
• About a month ago I also recognised that I’d be wanting to get out of London a bit more in the coming months, so (for the first time in three years) I bought a car that I can use for such short trips.
• The first one of these I am taking later this week, a four day break to an area a few hours outside London that I have not visited before. A shift in location and energy.
• Last, I mentioned yesterday in my post: “Saudade – what do you long for” how much I miss seeing my sons due to them being in Cayman and us being unable to meet. We have therefore set out an intention (we clearly can’t actively plan for it, but we can put our energy towards it a little!) to meet in the UK for Christmas, Covid-19 allowing. We normally always have a trip together in the summer, but as we can’t do that, we are finding emotional balance by looking ahead.

Business Balance

• My client work always slows a little in summer as my clients ease back a little, so that creates space for new and different activities.
• First, back in April, I decided to start a new show in the summer, so planned ahead and my weekly conversation show WhatComesNextLive began at the end of June. It happens every Tuesday afternoon and very much enjoying that rhythm each week.
• Another longer-term strategic business element is that I’ve retained a specialist to review my brand and positioning (which will be expressed by some tweaks to my website and online presence). I last did this two summers ago (yes, always in summer for me, as like it to feel fresh when people return with that “back to school” energy in September).
• Beyond those two actions, I am still working with a number of clients through the summer, then (of course) taking those bike rides, playing golf and, beyond that, also taking time to learn more through reading, watching and listening to people on the list of books, articles, videos, podcasts that I build up over the months and make time for in summer.

Would love to hear from you what you do to find your August balance, always open to talking on a zoom.