How to stop and smell the roses in 3 steps.

When was the last time you actually stopped to smell a rose or any flower for that matter? My family and I have recently returned from a two week trip to Italy. This article is not about sharing my views on the amazing food or wine we had during the trip but about what it takes to decompress and realign priorities.

As I got back to work I began running into colleagues who asked “How was your trip?” and what usually followed that question was “It looked AMAZING.” My answer was it was fabulous and not for the reasons you might naturally think. It was fabulous because I got to really spend time with my wife and got to know my daughter! Both were truly AMAZING. Now, as a parent you should not have to wait for a vacation to get to know your child. Kids grow up fast and with our busy lives the quality time we spend with them on a daily basis is very little. In this trip, as family, we managed to spend 360 hrs together without the daily work-life routine distractions.

In this ever more connected world taking time to disconnect has to be everyone's priority. Here are a few things that worked for me:

Step 1: Logging off social media platforms.

It will come as no surprise but there is a real world beyond social media. One which you can actually touch, taste, and smell. I am not suggesting you quit your online platforms but there is more to life than telling the world what you are doing every single second of your life! Cherish the moments you have with your family, friends, and colleagues in real-time. Posting on insta, whatsapp, facebook, twitter, and snapchat can probably wait until after you have had that dinner at a Michelin star restaurant or after you have spent quality time soaking in the Tuscan sun.

Step 2: Regulating work emails and whatsapp messages.

This is a tricky one. This one is not easy to implement and will depend on the respective corporate culture - this flows top down. Whether it's 2:00 AM, the weekend, or your planned time off - you have to take a conscience call and set expectations right. Responding in the middle of the night does not translate to working hard. In my opinion, it essentially means that you are really poor at time management and setting priorities. Furthermore, having an expectation of an instant response at such times from your colleagues is promoting a wrong culture. The best way to regulate this would be to turn of your whatsapp or better yet don't charge your phone once your battery drains out! I did exactly this and it was wonderful :) [disclaimer: actions may adversely impact employment]

Step 3: Being in the present.

We as a society have become habitual to constant social media stimulation which has led to most of us having short attention spans. The second we are bored we start staring at our cell phones - I know I am as guilty of this as you all are. We are quite rapidly forgetting what it's like to give someone our full attention and to listen. We are forgetting how to live in and soak the present. It is a choice and the choice is yours. Mine was to smell the fresh lavender which was growing right outside on the veranda and to cherish the visual appeal of the rows of Tuscan cypress trees on a hill. Following-up on sales numbers and forecasts took a back seat and I am glad it did!

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” — Albert Einstein

In summary, we all talk and preach about work-life balance but are seldom willing to put in the effort required to achieve this. Believe me - it can be achieved through effective time management. I am back at work now, re-energized to take on new challenges; with more clarity of thought and with a fresh outlook on what lies ahead. I am really glad I didn't put the phone back on the charger in Italy. My wish for all of you is to go offline on your vacation. What are your thoughts? How will you stop and smell the rose?

Gaurav is passionate about building new businesses and loves to work with teams which have a high entrepreneurial spirit and a can do attitude.