All work & no play makes you a bad leader!

Yes, I am speaking from experience!?

The last few months have been a whirlwind of travel, new clients & Denise Bree starting... And much as I have enjoyed it, there have been times when I have been so tired I couldn't remember which city or country I was in & what day it was.?

So, this Anzac weekend, I took a few days out completely off-grid & more importantly, off my laptop, phone & social media.??

Steve & I took ourselves to the Telephone Exchange for a trip that we had booked last year & had to postpone due to a client trip to Melbourne & our house move shifting dates.?

The Telephone Exchange is just outside of Taupo & is a small glamping site where they have moved an old Telephone Exchange building onto the back of the working farm.??

There is no power, except enough to power a few small LED lights. The fridge, cooking facilities & hot water are powered by gas, and the heat is provided by burning wood & up until recently, there wasn't even cellphone reception.?

Sadly, they put a telephone tower around the corner, but I discovered the joys of flight mode on my phone as I had told people I would be off-grid, so I decided that I should genuinely do that.?

4 days when you have no telephone, no internet & no 'devices' like TV & Netflix means you are forced to slow down & it feels like you have taken more than a week's holiday.?

We spent the 4 days playing games (Scrabble, Rummikub etc.), walking the dogs, eating & drinking & reading books and sleeping.

This is the effect it had on my sleep – I think my body was trying to tell me something!?

I also had time to read the Relentless AF book again, written by a fellow EOS Implementer (thanks Chris Jones ) & this time, as I read it, I had my remarkable with me & I took a Clarity Break, answering the questions that Chris poses in his book.?

We have been going through a wee bit of a transition in the EOS business, where a couple of clients are about to graduate & we want to expand our offering to Family Businesses & Entrepreneurial Business Owners, so it was a great chance to ponder & think about working ON the business rather than in it.?

And I realised that when I am madly rushing around, I don't make the strongest decisions.?

I am sure I am not the only one, so this week's newsletter focuses on how we can become stronger leaders by taking time out.?

2 quotes stood out for me in Chris' book. The first was from our EOS Head Coach, Jill Young , who said, "Experience without reflection is forgotten." – this caused me to reflect on my wins & my losses over the past 5 years & celebrate all the learnings I have taken from this.?

And the 2nd is a question Chris used for his business & it's one I want to ask of you, as my readers & clients – "We have a proven track record & recent events have made us hungry for growth. Are you the right company for us?"?

We are looking for 5 more companies to join us on the EOS journey from either NZ or Melbourne / Adelaide.??

We have a proven track record, having helped over 600 businesses create growth in our last 11 years & 27 companies through the EOS process in the last 3? years.?

So, are you ready to start this journey, or do you know someone who is? If so, let's chat. ???

Happy Weekend everyone!?

PS: This was the view from our shower… You can find the Telephone Exchange & other equally cool Glamping places here.

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BETTER BUSINESS: TAKE A BREAK!??

Are you a Leader or Manager who makes sure your staff take leave but struggles to take a break yourself???

EOS uses the term CLARITY BREAK for a good reason. Taking time out to reflect on the business and our relationship with it doesn't happen if we keep checking phones and emails and are constantly reacting to the demands of the business.????

"The power of Clarity Breaks for entrepreneurial leaders cannot be overstated... It might seem counterintuitive, but setting aside time for quiet contemplation and deep thinking requires intention and planning. In our fast-paced lives, we often lack the time and space to truly think and reflect."

You can reflect on the big picture more if your mind and body are rested and refreshed. To enable this to happen, a change of environment and disciplines, such as restricting technology, can help too.??

In the same way that we should allow our children to be bored sometimes so that they can create their own fun, once you are 'offline', you may find your creative and fun side coming out to play!???

To read the full article, click here.

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BETTER LIFE: RUMMIKUB yourself?

When did you last play a game that wasn't on a device???

When we were away, knowing that we would likely be offline most of the time, we took lots of things to do – Scrabble, the perennial favourite and my favourite game Rummikkub.??

Once we had played a few times, we found ourselves in a totally different state of mind. I am an active relaxer, so even when relaxing, I enjoy 'doing things' just for fun. But Rummmikub is a healthy challenge for your brain too.??

"Many classic games like chess, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, and Pictionary challenge creative and analytical thought processes, giving both sides of the brain something to do. Even the simple act of learning the rules and playing a new game can help your mind grow stronger."?

To read more, click here.

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FIND OF THE WEEK: Relentless as F@ck??

Thanks to ANZAC Day being on Tuesday this year, we took a long weekend break like many of you.??

After a stressful first part of the year, hubby and I took ourselves off to Taupo for some time away from everything.... except my Kindle on which I had this FANTASTIC book: 'Relentless AF', by Chris Jones .??

If you have been to the brink – in either your personal or professional life, this book is a must-read.??

It's highly entertaining but also an inspiring story. I read about how Chris Jones' business goes from success to failure overnight and the journey he takes to come back from that.??

I found myself reflecting on how I approach things in both my work and personal life and came away with a clearer view, able to set some new goals. So, I can say that our break was definitely a Clarity Break!

To read more, click here.

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PODCAST OF THE WEEK: Say YES to saying NO?

Scott Rusnak is an EOS Implementer and Business Coach. He speaks with Debra about how you can use the EOS tools to ensure that you make the right choices in your life, professionally and personally.?

He talks about using the People analyser to check if you are spending time with people with similar values and that we may need to say NO along the way to people and activities that we don't love or don't fit into our VTO (Vision).?

Scott suggests taking Clarity Breaks is a good way of taking time in your day, week and each year to evaluate your current direction and ensure you are living your best life. Those breaks help us to make decisions... to say NO with clarity.?

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BONUS QUOTE

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."??

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- Lily Tomlin?

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You can download this as wallpaper or a lock screen for your phone.?Click here.

If you’d like to learn more about any of these tools or would like to find out how I can help you achieve a better life through creating a better business, then book a free Discovery Call with me?here.

Debra Chantry - Taylor

Certified EOS Implementer | Accredited Family Business Advisor | Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Coach | Speaker & Workshop Facilitator

You can check out previous newsletters?here.?