"10 Simple Ways to Recharge Your Business Brain"

If the end of the year has your brain blinking in and out as often as your holiday décor, it’s time to infuse your workday with a few mental rechargers. Despite your best efforts, putting in more hours at your desk is usually NOT the solution. Stop banging your head against your laptop and try one of these quick solutions to reboot your business brain!
1. Reconnect with nature. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I drop everything and take a walk along the beach. The fresh air makes me feel more grounded and at peace. Take your dog for a short walk around the block, or just walk to the mailbox if that’s all you feel you have time for. Experiencing the sights and sounds of nature can spark our creativity and that’s where our best ideas come from!
2. Shut down your computer and grab a pen. Sometimes you just need to take things old school with a good old pen and paper. Many writers say their best work comes from the tactile process of putting pen to paper, and we entrepreneurs can tap into this mode just as easily. Want even better results? Use colored pens or markers and draw what you’re thinking, too!
3. Take a siesta. Short periods of shuteye are a proven way to help you stay sharp. I take at least one nap per day — sometimes two if it’s a crammed work week. Naps not only improve your performance, but I find that I often wake up with new ideas or solutions to problems!
4. Go shopping! Not for retail therapy, but to look for fresh marketing and sales ideas. Once when I was at Whole Foods, I noticed some CDs on display and found myself adding two of them to my cart. These are called “point of sale” purchases, and they’re an effective way to boost your bottom line. Go see what strategies other stores are using and see how you can work them into your business.
5. Hit the classroom. This is one of the best ways to jumpstart your business. Every day, there are countless seminars, workshops, and classes going on. If you can’t leave the office or your house, explore online classes and teleseminars.
6. Make your dream list. To pull yourself out of a rut, find a quiet place and list your dreams. Also think about why you decided to work for yourself in the first place. Was it to achieve a better lifestyle? Have greater flexibility to travel?
7. Read a biography. I regularly read biographies of successful entrepreneurs to remind me that everyone has ups and downs in their businesses. I also try to learn how they think so I can model them.
8. Change your scene. Go work in a different room, out on the patio, or at a local library or a coffee shop. Get out of town, if you can. Once, when I just could not seem to finish a large writing project at home, I booked myself a week at an affordable spa resort, brought my laptop, and shut off my phone. Worked like a charm!
9. Hire a coach or mentor. Having access to someone who’s been through the ups and downs of business before and has succeeded removes all the guesswork and brings out your best.
10. Join a mastermind group. The idea behind mastermind groups is that two minds are better than one.  Aligning yourself with a group of successful entrepreneurs helps you move forward quickly and confidently.
© 2010 Ali International, LLC