Remember Spring Break as a kid? Maybe you traveled somewhere fun, or maybe you visited family, or maybe you stayed home and played. It didn't matter. After a winter that seemed to never stop, and school everyday, you were ready for that break . . . ready for something to revive and refresh you . . . something to change your perspective and help you get through to the end of the school year. Now you are an adult, and your time horizon is a bit longer. You aren't just trying to get to the end of the school year, but you may still feel those some late winter blahs. Even as adults we need a break at the start of spring. The rest of this article is going to offer you five pairs of questions that can use to create a spring break for yourself without ever leaving your home or office. Even if you've taken a spring break trip or vacation recently, read on. The Questions What makes work most fun? / How can I do more of that today and everyday? What would WOW my Customers today? / How do I know? What risk have I taken lately? / What did I learn from that experience? What was my childhood dream? / What does it tell me about myself now? What is one thing I could do to refresh my perspective? / When will I do it? How to Use Them Reading the questions is a nice start, but that alone won't create your mental break (or breakthrough). The questions are useful, but it is your answers that will help you reframe, re-focus, refresh, rejuvenate, and recuperate - just like spring breaks used to do. In other words, the most important thing to do with these questions is to think about your answers to them. Here are some steps that will help you use these questions to create new perspectives and ideas. 1. Read the questions again. Make a note (mentally or on paper) the pair or pairs that seem to jump out at you the most. 2. Spend 10-15 minutes today reflecting on the pair of questions you noted. 3. Jot down your thoughts and ideas on a piece of paper, in your planner, or your journal. 4. Read your answers tomorrow morning and reflect on the fresh perspective, energy and excitement you feel. 5. Repeat these steps for any or all of the other question pairs. Do this for all five question pairs and you have created a five day mental vacation! If this sounds like it will take some time, you are right. But when you consider the results you will gain, and that it is a lot cheaper than booking a flight to a spring break destination, you'll realize the time is well worth it. Remember that better questions help us produce better answers. And that better answers, when put into action can change our lives. Invest these few minutes in thinking and you'll reap the benefits of a fresh perspective and gain new outlook on the spring and early summer. Your answers will help you be more productive and enjoy your days more. Many people go on vacation to relax and rejuvenate themselves. They spend hours in planning and preparation. Most people spend an hour or more to plan their weekend activities. Investing one hour over the next several days with these questions and the process I've outlined will give you a greater return than those other time investments and will make a difference in your life and results. |
