Are we all overdoing it a bit?

I’m currently reading “October”, a history of The Russian Revolution by one of my favourite authors, China Mieville (best known for his punk science fantasy novels) and note that one of the first demands of the newly elected Soviets in the early months of 1917 was for an 8-hour working day.

My last working week ended on Saturday evening, after a hugely enjoyable day working with clinicians and managers from the 7 practices that form the Alpha Vitality Group up in North Yorkshire and Teesside.

It was my fifth day on the road after Easter and the third Groundhog Day of presenting to teams, discussing how to get patients in the door, how to keep them there and how to turn them into ambassadors – in Cheltenham, Swindon and Stokesley.

I think it would be fair to say that I was burned out by the time I arrived home and one day off yesterday has managed to half-charge my batteries.

Thankfully we have another Bank Holiday weekend to look forward to – I’ll be busy in The Bunker today with calls to Australia, India, the USA and the UK as well as two video interviews for The Extreme Business Club with no less than Sheila Scott AND Tracy Stuart.

Then off on my travels later this evening, this week visiting Edinburgh, Stockton on Tees, Chester and Dublin.

I was wondering yesterday whether I was overdoing it a bit – April is shaping up as one of my best ever months for business but I’m paying the price physically.

One of the dilemmas we all face in the small business and freelance sector – knowing when to say “no”.

It’s encouraging to know that, here in the UK, we are not as bad as some countries when it comes to “hours per week” at work.

Looking at those statistics, we could perhaps claim some credit for balance between work and play – but, of course, the data we are looking at here relates primarily to those in employment. I wonder what a “self-employed and business owner only” survey would reveal?

Ironic isn’t it that at 09:00 this morning I’ll be talking to my business coach about how this business coach is overdoing it a bit, travelling around the world advising clients on how not to overdo it.

It was the late, great father of modern coaching, Thomas Leonard, who said that “we only get to teach people the things that we need to know”.