Get Lost

Copyright 2006, Paula Gregorowicz

Have you ever felt so stressed you could jump out of your skin? Ever been so annoyed with someone (such as a boss, co-worker, or partner) that you wanted to wring their neck?

If so, all you need to do is get lost. By get lost I don't mean run away from reality and live in denial. I mean get lost in doing something you love.

You might say, "But I'm so busy and so stressed that I don't have time to get lost!" Based on my experience (and I'm getting some revised lessons in this lately), you can't afford not to.

Let me give you a current example from my life. A portion of my time is still spent working in a "day job" while I build my business. And, lately the stressful and generally low morale atmosphere at this day job has been maddening. Some days I find that I come home needing a bit of self-coaching and an attitude adjustment. While my eage
ess to work on my business and with my clients is high and I feel like I want dive right in, I have found that if I simply get lost for about 30 minutes I am so much happier, more relaxed, and wildly more productive.

Now, this approach seems counterintuitive to what people think they "should" do. After all, the "nose to the grindstone" cliché persists for a reason. However, I contend that keeping the "nose to the grindstone" nonstop results in a dull grindstone and no nose. My best guess says that this is not what you really want!

Let me elaborate a little on what I mean by getting lost. I mean choosing an activity that brings you joy, allows you to lose track of time, and makes you feel good about yourself. It is not something you feel you "should" do, it is something that you wish you could do for yourself "if you only had the time".

For example, it can be a hobby like playing a musical instrument, reading a book, or simply going for a walk. It is whatever works for you given your mood in that moment on that given day. If you worry about losing track of time and not getting back to the rest of the day's schedule, invest in the cheap but ever effective business tool - the egg timer. For about a dollar, you can buy the most effective time management and productivity tool there is. Simply set it for 30 minutes and forget about it. It gives you the freedom to be totally present to what you're doing without having to worry about time.

The top 7 benefits of getting lost on a daily basis are:

1) Allows the stress you are feeling to melt off of you
2) Leaves you with an enhanced state of calm
3) Increases your ability to focus
4) Creates more joy for you every day and a chance to "just play"
5) Gives YOU the care and attention you deserve
6) Enhances your creativity and problem-solving
7) Enables you to have a fresh perspective

So, what are you waiting for? Get lost!