Lessons from the Beach

by Matthew Best

We took a short family vacation to the beach this past week. I love the beach. Even in the relaxation and the hustle of vacations, there are lessons to be pay attention to.

First lesson - taking time away. I am convinced that entrepreneurs and business owners and decision makers spend way too much time working. Believe me, I've been there. I understand - there's lots to be done and it's your business, so you invest a great deal of time with your investment. The problem, and yes it's a problem,
comes when we don't step away for a little bit of time to take a look at the reality of our own businesses. We need time away to gain some clarity and to stop the habits that stop of from making changes. Even taking one day away every so often can be
a refreshing experience. You'll be ready to face the challenges. And don't tell me you are too busy, too important, or too anything else. Even the President of the United States takes a vacation every once in awhile.

Second lesson - Remember what's important. We have four kids aged 2 1/2 months to 6 years old. In the regular day-to-day of life you end of disciplining, telling your kids "no" "stop" and who knows what else. When you take this mindset to the beach you learn to relax a little. We relax because we remember that when the kids
do something we don't necessarily like, it's not because they are bad so often, it's because they are figuring out their own way, testing the limits around them, etc.

We parents get upset because the kids don't do it "our way." The lesson I pulled away was to remember what's important - which isn't much really. Do I really need to directing what my kids are doing every moment and how they are doing it? No. What if they do it a different way? So what. So my message for this lesson is that when you are upset or frustrated with a situation, ask yourself - why am I frustrated? What's important?

Third lesson - be creative. I like to think of myself as a pretty creative person already. But I also learned there is plenty more creativity that I could be tapping into. My daughter and I came up with a game to play on the beach with the incoming ocean waves. There were very few rules, it didn't require us to spend money on
any materials and more importantly, it was a blast.

Take a look at your situation. How can you use your creativity to move you forward? Can you do it without spending any money? Remember, you can make the rules for your own success.

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