Plugging Back In...

by Skip Cohen

​What I love most about writing this Sunday morning series is the complete lack of predictability about whatever's on my mind to write about. As I've talked about before, doing a brain dump is therapeutic. So today's more of a confession as I attempt to share the not-so-major events of the last week.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of knowing when to "unplug." I'm a work in progress, and understanding when I need to shut off the business side of my brain is still a skill set I'm lacking. I love this industry and love what I do for a living. But, between my computer, my phone, and having a home office, it's so hard to shut things down and just relax with Sheila, the pups, and friends.

So, I unplugged, and we headed up to St. Augustine, FL. So, what did I learn? First, never go to a tourist destination during both "season" and spring break. It was a madhouse. Traffic was incredible, whether it was in the car or on foot. But here's a better thing to have learned - Sheila and I had a blast. We acted like tourists and just spent time together - no phone calls, no computer, no business.

Unplugging was tough, but plugging back in has been almost impossible. The last week was one of the busiest I can remember. Between phone calls, emails, and various projects, trying to write a blog post has been impossible. It's been a balancing act with posting finishing in last place. The week reminded me of an old video of Lucille Ball.

​And there's my point - we can only do as much as we can do. Simplistic? Yes, but there's a point we all reach in life where we realize there are only so many hats we can wear at one time. For me, it's a reminder of the importance of prioritizing, which I did. But the challenge is doing it without guilt and letting go of that monkey on your back.

What's funny about being preoccupied with the various challenges in business is that we often forget all the things we've accomplished. Instead, we become obsessed with what we didn't do and miss everything we did get done.

I'm back to better than normal. I'm learning to go cold turkey and unplug when I need to, and then, even harder, plug back in and stay focused. It accomplishes nothing to keep looking in the rearview mirror at the turn in the road you missed. But it does make sense when it's important to find another route or make the u-turn and go back. No regrets, just another lesson learned, and something to laugh about later.

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“The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’ we laugh about tomorrow.”
Aaron Lauritsen

Wishing everybody a day ahead with no regrets and time with family and friends who are most important to you. Never lose sight of those things that simply make your heart soar. If there's a monkey on your back, feed him a banana and disappear while he's chowing down.

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world!