My optimism and positivity quickly kicked in to show me the gift that this truly was and I turned off my mobile phone and skype to ensure that I would not get caught up in any new distractions.

So how did I choose to spend those 6 days? First of all I took out a large blank piece of paper and listed all my “to dos” then prioritized those that would add the greatest value.  Time was spent with our developer to build the brand new Simply Zest! website (please let us know what you think), my inbox was sorted out, paperwork got up-to-date, friends discovered that I was still alive and the dog enjoyed long daily walks again (as did I). I also managed the school runs and play dates for my children as well as taking time to smell the metaphorical roses (tulips in this case...).

This got me thinking that we really do need to "take time in order to make time" and high performers need to claim their white space too.  I am often surprised at how many of my clients believe they should have an “open door” policy for their staff and then claim how unproductive and frustrated they are with never ending interruptions. We can all benefit from “white space” or down time to regain clarity and perspective and to enable our creative juices to flow again. We frequently get feedback from our clients that our coaching sessions provide that valuable white space allowing time to step back, gain fresh perspectives and take action to create an exciting future (instead of just doing more of the same).

Take time to reflect on the following questions - your answers will reveal what is truly important to you and what needs to take higher priority from now on:

• what would you do if you suddenly had 6 full working days available to you?
• what tasks that you’d previously procrastinated upon would you be ticking off your list?
• who would you choose to spend your time with?
• what would create the biggest impact for your business and life?

Even though the ash crisis is now over and life is returning to “normal”, what is the one thing that you could already start to do differently today?

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to carve out some valuable “white space” time for you, your business or your organisation. Used productively, it’s these kind of moments that can help you take your business and your life to the next level.

© 2006-2010 Simply Zest!