I looked up from my computer screen early this morning just in time to catch the most beautiful sunrise with layers of orange and purple. It was quite breathtaking, the colours changing even as I watched.

I could have missed it (head down, stuck in emails) but something made me look up at the right time.*

It’s very easy for us to get into a habit of work, work, work, chasing the work, keeping customers happy, running around after our team. But if we don’t lift our heads from time to time, we could find ourselves missing all the delightful opportunities that exist outside of work to provide us with a more balanced and healthier view of life – and just end up burning out.

It’s like the tale of the goose with the golden eggs that Stephen Covey uses in his “7 Habits” book to describe the habits of effectiveness.

Most people see effectiveness as the more you produce, the more you do, the more effective you are. In the tale of the goose with the golden eggs, however, as you’ll probably remember, the farmer kills his goose that’s laying golden eggs because he wants to have them all at once rather than one a day. But, as the story shows, true effectiveness is the balance between what is produced (the golden eggs) and the producing asset or capacity to produce (the goose).

If you adopt a pattern of life that focuses on golden eggs and neglects the goose, you will soon be without the asset that produces the golden eggs – whether that means you, your employees or both. On the other hand, excessive nurturing of the goose without focus on your golden eggs will mean you have no money to feed the goose! So balance is everything.

How balanced is your production capability with your production? Are you working 50+ hours a week, worrying about cashflow and never having enough time to get everything done? Or are you well-balanced?

If this strikes a chord and the time is right for you now to lift up your head and take stock, I think you might be interested in a workshop I’m co-presenting with Nicki Campbell of Life without Limits during York Business Week.

I’ll be sharing some great tools, tips and strategies for effectively improving the financial health of your business, while Nicki will be focusing on physical and mental health. Together, we’ll help you design and plan to balance business and personal health.

You won’t want to miss this! Click here to book your place. Early bird discounts are available just until the end of October.

Looking forward to seeing you there! Till then …

Best, from

Ros

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*If you’re looking to improve both your business and personal health, you’ll want to book your place on 8 ways to improve the health and wellbeing of you and your business.