Step back. This is the secret.

Step back from the direction that you are going in. At times do opposite of what you are doing.

In our pursuits of success, happiness, joy, peace, health and love — we tend to go to extremes. We either do a lot or do little. Let us explore how we can keep a balance while we are on our journey to success and all other destinations shared in the first sentence of this paragraph.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” — Greg Anderson

Let’s start with businesses and then we will discuss balance in the life on an individual.

How big businesses can find balance and grow?

If you are running a big business then chances are that you spend a lot of time running it. It will be good if you cut on time that you give it. How can you do it? Break it in chunks — get into partnerships with companies and vendors. If that does not suit you and you want the comfort of employees working for you then hire a professional head of business verticals and let her run the show within broad guidelines.

The key is to step back, and do opposite of what you are doing now. If you are big then do not work like big. Work like small. For that you will need to think like small. Be more caring of your client; bring the personal touch into your business relationships.

Develop SBUs (small business units) within your business and let people run these SBUs like start-ups. Chances are you will have better profitability, and clear vision into future about which segment to focus more on. If you want to free your time, try 4×4.

This will also help you get out the best value out of each of your product or service offerings. Just look at each part as a start-up; let each of these parts generate their own cash and profits. Resources can be shared as required; but revenue, expenditure and profitability remain separate. Close the ones that are not working and move on.

How small businesses can find balance and stay in business?

If you run a small business then get into the mindset of big. I know you love small and all those good things that go with being small, less fixed cost — no or low — employee costs and more things like that. But when I ask you to get into the mindset of big, I am not talking about size. I am suggesting you to get into high quality mode — while delivering products or services to your own small set of customers.

Benchmark your delivery with the best and the biggest — only done at a smaller scale. Develop detailed reports, impressive presentations, and an informative website. Meet your customers on a regular basis and listen to them.

Do all this because if you don’t chances are that a company bigger than you may come with a better value proposition and take your customers away. It will convert your small business into no business. Who would want that? So start doing things the way big businesses do and be proactive about it.

How can individuals find balance?

Stepping back and doing opposite can be applied to our own lives. Take time to think about excesses of your life and where you ought to be doing less. Where you are doing more, do less and do more where you are doing less. Let us explore how to do it?

Relationships

People go to the extremes in relationships. During courtship lovers will droll over each other and spend as much time as they can together. In such times — give your partner space and let them be. When you do that there will be more chances of the relationship moving further.

Picture this, same couple gets married. With passing time, their moments sitting together and listening with intent go down. Result — weak bonds and unsatisfied lives. If you are spending less time with your life partner, friends and family – Go back and start spending more time (again). Let love be your reason.

Life

You lead a disciplined life – sleeping, eating, and working at a fixed time. Then you need to get out of the mould of fixed and get some real life. Act naughty with friends. Get down on the floor of a crowded mall fully dressed. Lie there for a while. I have done it myself. It will be good to share some of these stories with your kids later.

Consuming information

You are on the web all the time and read four (online) newspaper/sites every day. It will be a good idea to go on a media fast. It will give your brain a chance to relax and a room to think.

Sleep

You sleep late every damn night and then get up late every morning — then try and sleep early and experience the magic of dawn.

Scenario two where you sleep early every night then you may be missing the fun of going on leisurely walks or sitting with friends under a moonlit sun. Stay up late on occasions to experience such moments of joy.

Eating

If you eat a lot of junk doing opposite will help. Get on to right eating. Other scenario, you are very health conscious and eat right all the time. Give yourself a break and have some fun. You should grant yourself moments to relish you favorite chocolate, tasty smoothies or something else on your list.

Exercise

If you exercise a lot —then do a little less — it will save your muscles from undue stress. If you do not exercise at all then get moving a little. More oxygen will do your body and brain a lot of good.

Travel

If you travel a lot almost every day then make a plan of doing opposite stay at home or office for more days. This will give you more time to relax, think and create. Use technology to help you. Bring some meetings over to Skype. It will save you both on travel time and fuel money.

Reading

If you want to read but are unable to read then check out reading made simple. Reading will help you know more. If you read a lot then take a break — learn from the world, look around, observe and experience.

Thinking — doing

if you think a lot then give your brain a break — overworked brain may not get you results that a relaxed brain will. Spend some time in using your body more than your brain. You need a healthy body to host a healthy mind — this is old saying said in a new way — but you know the essence, right.

If you cry a lot then try laughing, not need to do the opposite of laughing. Premise is simple – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Do not push too hard. Think and work on stepping back from your extremes. Do it gently.

What do you do to find the balance?

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