The only way to take a break is to get away

I love the notion that people who are self employed enjoy "freedom" and "flexibility" in their work. If anyone has owned their own business, you know it's a different story! While there are perks (I can take a lunch as long as I please and schedule daytime activities intermittently in my work day), there is also the overlooked down side - you can't escape your business, ever! 

Even on days off, you inevitably end up on your phone responding to texts and calls or checking your email.  Especially in real estate when your time/expertise/knowledge is on high demand.  Plus if you care about your clients, you don't want to leave them in the middle of a high stress time in their life.  

I imagine it's similar to having children - you think about them all the time, you want the best for them, and they also need you! And sometimes they need you right now, and no one else will do! It can be a bit overwhelming when you're in constant contact with umpteen clients/realtors/inspectors/lawyers/brokers a day.

This leads me to the conclusion that going on holiday is the only way to take "real" time off.  It's the only way we can totally disconnect from the demands of our business. So if you ever wonder why realtors are constantly flying the coup, it's not because we have excess money to burn - it's because we genuinely need a break!

Plus after a good holiday, when I get engaged with my business again - my productivity goes up, my road rage goes down, I feel less stressed and more happy which means better results! 

Everyone wins with Saira goes away :-)

Coachella 2014 or bust! 

Strength and Balance Takes Practice

Something that I've become very aware of in the last few years of being in business is the absolute need for work/life balance. My usual process was work non stop, burn out, recover and repeat. It got me through university and the first couple years of my career with only a few major melt downs. 

It's been a process to realize that we, as humans, are meant to work in intervals. Go hard, rest/recover, repeat. This is why we take breaks in every aspect of our life: recess, work breaks, weekends, etc. Last year, I noticed when I took time to completely disconnect from my phone/email/work every month, my productivity actually went up. I was able to accomplish more in less time because I was more sharp when I was working. Consequently I worked less, made more and was a happier human all around.

So it seems totally contradictory to my above logic that I would take on a 30 day hot yoga challenge at Hudson Yoga. Why would anyone put their body/mind/schedule through that kind strain for an entire 30 days straight?!  I remember thinking it was impossible - there was no way I could make it work because all the usual excuses: no time, my body couldn't handle it and no time.

Well, I'm happy to say I just finished the challenge and 31 consecutive days of hot yoga. I learned a lot over the course of the month. 

1. I shattered the belief that my body couldn't handle it. The reality was that every class was different (despite the same 26 postures). I never knew how my body would react to class each day.  Some days I could barely lift my arms, other days I felt super strong. I learned to approach every class with curiosity.

2. I learned that no matter how inconvenient it was to get to the studio or how stressed out I was about my schedule and daunting to do list, I always could make it to the studio. When I was there, the stress would melt away and I would enjoy the class. I realized my yoga practice was the break my mind and body needed from my crazy day and it helped my productivity.

3. When I was doing 60-90 minutes of hot yoga everyday, the activities that didn't serve my goal, dropped out of my schedule. I learned to make sacrifices and prioritize my personal time.

4. I also had to learn to be kind to myself and let things go. Being an overachiever my entire life - I expect to see progress and get frustrated when I don't! The reality is, I experiencd set backs in the room, just like in life! I had to let it go and show up the next day excited to see what class would be like.

In conclusion, I'm very happy I did the challenge. Doing yoga everyday provided me with a much needed break from my day that helped my productivity overall; It forced me to reconfigure my schedule to make time for what was important; And it reinforced what I have learned through life: no matter what happens, just let it go, be kind to yourself and approach tomorrow with curiosity and excitement.

Namaste!