Today I want to offer you a “time out”. If you read all the blogs posted on this site alone there is a wealth of information, technical advice and ways to grow, survive and become even more successful, and that’s wonderful. But, today I want you to step back and enjoy the Simplicity of Success.

This is a wonderful quote, “The more I give myself permission to live in the moment and enjoy it without feeling guilty, the better I feel about the quality of my work” - Wayne Dyer.

We are all working with tight schedules today and with the technology at our fingertips it is easier to carry on working when we are eating our lunch or at home after work relaxing.  The buzz of our smart phone on the sofa beside us prompts us to check our email. We realise we could easily write a reply email, with the attached report mentioned, as we sit there “relaxing”. What’s wrong with this picture? When does our brain get a rest from work, looking at screens, talking on the phone, tapping away on computers? Will our success be impacted in a negative way if we don’t jump into action every second of the day?

The new technology offered today can help us make better choices. We can do so much with a smartphone, which we can take everywhere. The device does not make us use it 24/7 that is one of our choices which we should look at.

The first question to ask yourself is, what is success? Writing this blog for a successful telecommunications company is my way of sharing my passion and desire to help people by reaching out to a wider audience. Does that mean I am successful? Yes, I am successful in my desire to help more people, that is my success.

Success has a different meaning for everyone but in the world of small business, where I typically hang out, the emphasis is on financial success. In order to achieve that kind of success we could be likened to a hamster on a wheel, going around and around. We have a purpose in life; we have been trained to keep on going, but when can we step off that wheel and enjoy the simple things in life that we work so hard for but never seem able to enjoy? What are these things I talk about you might ask:

• A family holiday enjoying sand, sea and relaxation
• A walk in the park, drinking a coffee and enjoying the wonders of the ducks swimming in the lake.
• Taking in a movie with friends and a quiet drink afterwards
• Reading a book, tucked up in bed, drinking hot chocolate

All of the above are simple pleasures our success has afforded us. In order to pay for a holiday we have to be successful, as well as being able to pay for a cup of coffee as we meander around the park. None of the above things are free. We can enjoy a book from the library for free, but we needed to purchase the comfortable bed and the hot chocolate. When we set out to be successful we probably wanted more out of life, and the chance to spend more time with our family and friends and along the way that never happened.

Look at all the reasons you started your own business and write those reasons down, I am 99% sure it will not read like this:

• Need to spend more time away from family and friends and work 24/7.
• Want to work through all my vacation time and miss out on all the fun times.

Simply put, it is all about the choices we make. You really do not have to sacrifice all the things in your life you hold dear so that you can be successful. Some steps we take to ensure we are successful in our business are ensuring we are seen out and about at networking events, organized fundraisers, and award dinners to name a few. All of these things take our time and in some cases may mean we do not balance the time spent with our family.

Let’s look at making some different choices:

• Rather than working 24/7 make sure we do take the time to enjoy a trip to the movies with our family members, and think of this as a reward for all the hard work we put in and know that the money spent on this “time out” is money well spent.
• Invite your partner to some events with you that you think they might enjoy and include them in your circle of business friends.

When we step down off the wheel and look around at the big wide world offered to us it can be quite a shock. Being successful in the financial sense is very important, in order to pay for the life we always dreamt about. But, if we work ourselves into the ground, forget we need time to chill out with our family and friends, surely all the money in the world cannot make up for being lonely or getting sick?

It is quite simple, success is a wonderful achievement, but making smart choices and attainable goals that include having a life and not working 24/7 is crucial.

Another quote that makes a lot of sense is:

“There is no wealth but life.”

- John Ruskin

Linda Ockwell-Jenner is the Social Sweetheart. She is President of Motivational Steps and Co-Founder of the Small Business Community Network (SBCN) based in Waterloo Region. Find out more about Linda at www.motivationalsteps.com and www.sbcncanada.org