The Dream Manager Blog

I love working with people who get it done. They just get down to it and do what needs to be done. But I am not always like that myself. Sometimes I procrastinate like anyone. Here's my challenge: each day for the next week, start the day by doing something that you have been putting off. Those things rent space in our minds and drain our energy. Liberate yourself from one of them each day for the next week. Then think about how you feel each day when you are done with that task. You may just find a new habit.

You need some. We all do from time to time. And summer is a great time to do it. Have you planned some downtime? I mean days or weeks when you completely disconnect from your work. Turn off your cell and ignore all email. It's hard, but it is the best thing you can do for yourself, your clients, and your company. Really! You will come back rejuvenated and ready to go. It's going to be a great fall for those who take some downtime this summer. For the rest the fall is likely to be a drudgery that they keep wishing will end.

If you are captured as a prisoner of war, the first form of torture that will likely be used on you is sleep deprivation. You will be deprived of sleep because when you are tired you will do things that you would not ordinarily succumb to. In short, you will betray yourself. Fatigue makes cowards of us all. In our modern culture, we torture ourselves in the very same way. Most people are tired most of the time. You need sleep to function at a high level. Some time in the next couple of weeks schedule a really good night's sleep. Sleep until you wake up. No alarms. No interruptions. Just sleep.