Gain Perspective On Business and Life By Taking a Hiatus

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t posted in a couple of months. In late June, I began to feel like the direction my business was taking was moving against my grain.

Owning a business that fulfills me personally as well as financially is critical to how I want to live my life, so I took a business hiatus.

I first began taking hiatuses back in college under completely different circumstances. My guy friends and I, when we became tired of playing games with the fairer sex, would go on a hiatus to reprioritize our lives. This usually came at the end of a failed relationship or after a string of bad dates. (I actually met my wife when I was on hiatus from dating … it’s a good thing she asked me out!)

The purpose of a hiatus is to take your focus off of something that is causing you stress, and put your efforts into things that are more meaningful. It’s sort of like a vacation, except that when you’re on vacation you return to the same challenges you left. With a hiatus, you simply agree to not focus on those challenges until you find better solutions or until they don’t feel like challenges anymore.

In the case of my business, I pulled the plug on all marketing efforts and proposals, deciding only to work with my existing clients and projects I had agreed to. I also focused more on my relationships with friends and family, and my wife and I decided to move forward with a joint business idea we have had for awhile (more on that in coming weeks).

Taking these couple of months away from my branding and design business has been enlightening. I feel rejuvenated, and more importantly, I have a new sense of purpose.

If you feel like you’re just going through the motions of your career, relationships, or daily life (note: you still have to pay bills and mow the lawn!), I highly recommend going on hiatus for a time. The perspective I gained over the past two months is invaluable.

photo credit: Fayez Closed Account.