When you arrive in a city for the first time you are bombarded by new sights, sounds and experiences. They feed your soul and your imagination… and may even inspire you to change your perspective and do things a little differently when you get home.
Here are a few of my favourites from 10 days in Europe – who’s up for the challenge? And what would you add to the list? Please post a comment and let us know.
Move more
Many of us have dedicated slots to play sport, squeeze in a run or go to a gym class; but when last did you go for a stroll, or hop on your bike instead of driving somewhere near by? Walking or cycling from A to B is such a great way to create space and get gentle exercise. I often arrived at a meeting or event in Amsterdam energised and clear headed, from just 20 minutes of fresh air and sunshine – and let’s be honest, I got caught in the odd downpour or two too, but that’s part of the fun 😉
Get out of your comfort zone
When you’ve been in the same job, relationship or neighbourhood for a while, life can become quite predictable and maybe even a little mundane. But it doesn’t have to be… make a list of all the things you’d like to do this winter, and stick it on your fridge or pinboard by your desk so you can tick them off as you go. Challenge yourself to do one thing out of your comfort zone that scares you every week – from putting your hand up to take on a new challenge at work, to Scootouring down a mountain (I can vouch for this one – I did it with the guys in my EOA accountability group in Stellenbosch recently and was pretty nervous, but had an absolute ball!)
Take the time to get to know people better
It was so refreshing to meet like-minded entrepreneurs at the EOA Netherlands learning day, as well as friends-of-friends and random strangers along the trip. But what I enjoyed even more than that was time to connect on a deeper level with follow EOA board members from Cape Town – it’s crazy that we had to travel half way around the world to carve out time to do that, but we did! It reminded me of one of the cornerstones of our culture at Yellow Door – people come first. We have a team lunch every second week and try fit in a hike or dinner every now and then too, as a way to get to know each other better as people rather than just colleagues. It’s always a highlight in my week, and you can feel the difference the next day at the office.
Listen to your body
Whether it needs a power nap, pyjama day or some vitamin D, don’t try to push through – you’ll just fall harder when you do crash. I was reminded that it’s ok to take it easy, to say no thanks to another night out or glass of wine, and to set my alarm for an hour later than usual. In fact, I felt so much better for it, and for bringing a little more flexibility into my routine.
Work on what matters
There are 7 days in the week, and someday isn’t one of them. Don’t put off the things that will move the needle in your business and add real value to your clients. If you feel stuck in a rut or like you’re on a hamster wheel, reach out to a manager or mentor and ask them for help. You’re much more likely to figure it out together. At Yellow Door we often refer back to our Gallup Strengths and figure out how we can lean into them to work in our sweet spot. As our coach Murray likes to say, ‘Do more of what blows your hair back!’