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“Relax during the busy season? Are you serious? I will take time off later this year when my business cools off.” Sound familiar? It should, because all too many landscape contractors, interior and exterior alike, feel this way, says William Braid, CLP, owner of W. Braid Ltd., in Herefordshire, England. The fact is, he notes, learning to relax during the busy season can pay back some truly big dividends, not the least of which include giving owners and managers an opportunity to tackle challenges more effectively when they are refreshed and alert.

“Everyone should strive to take a ‘time-out’ during the busy season,” Braid relates, adding that being able to unwind is only one of its advantages. “When we are busy, it is all too easy to become so wrapped up with details that we lose focus on the bigger picture. One way to avoid this and regain focus is to ‘get away.’ For example, how many times have you made a mental note that when the off-season arrives, you will find a fix for a current problem? Then, when business slows, what once seemed so bad doesn’t seem like such a challenge after all. Getting away for a day or two gives you time to think about current issues and to strategize for the future.”

Make the Effort

According to Braid, there is more to relaxing than meets the eye — or saying to a team member, “I’m taking the day off to play golf.” Being able to relax requires being in a job or position that you like, knowing who you are to the extent you understand what helps you relax most, and, last but not least, planning for a rest break and practicing it. In other words, there is a big difference between saying you are going to take the day off and actually doing it, consistently. 
    
“Find something you like to do and put it on your calendar,” Braid relates. “You may not be comfortable at first leaving your team behind for a day of relaxing and reenergizing, but ultimately your team may appreciate you more and get more work done if you step away. Similarly, make sure to explain to team members why you need to relax and encourage them to take a day off here or there for the same purpose.”
    
Braid notes that “balance” plays an important role in both personal and business success. As he puts it, there is nothing wrong with working hard. After all, life’s experiences naturally resemble a bell curve with “ups and downs” and hard work and play. Having a full appreciation for both work and relaxation is a balancing act.

The following are some other “relaxing” thoughts from Braid.  First, landscape contractors have to have a good team in place before they can take off time during the busy season. If you don’t have a team in place, work to get one there quickly, he advises. “Time equals life,” he adds. “Enjoy your work, because you will spend a lot of time there, and make sure to make time for your family.”

In addition to breaking away from work every couple of weeks during the busy season, try to take more extended time off every three months or so with family members. Then, consider taking a vacation alone. Find something you are truly interested in and do it. There is no better way to relax and take your mind off work than to immerse yourself in something you enjoy.

One other thought. “Smell the roses,” Braid emphasizes. “Take time to enjoy the product you produce. I recall a golfing outing not too long ago. When I stepped up to the tee, I took a moment to look around at the beautiful landscaping. The other players in the foursome may have wondered what I was doing, but in essence, I was combining a little work with pleasure. In this instance, taking some time off to relax also gave me the opportunity to enjoy my profession.”
 
Relax for success? It may sound like a contradiction of terms, but it is far from it. Being able to relax in today’s highly charged and competitive world is more than a by-product of one’s success, it can become a means to an end. “Enjoy the process,” says Braid, “and the success that will naturally follow.”

By Rod Dickens, ALCA Contributing Writer