The past three weeks have been flat out wild for me. Among holiday preparations, clients, and my writing, I have been working day and night, violating my own ‘laws of Be-ing and Do-ing’. My epiphany happened when I was about to spend Sunday afternoon developing yet another to-do list and yet was so exhausted I couldn’t pull myself up off the couch. My JOY quotient hit a low mark. And, knowing this life in the fast lane is a problem for many professionals, I decided to get back to basics and share my knowledge with myself and my readers.

What I know to be true is we don’t need to DO we need to BE.

So, I went to the movies & I felt like a new woman as soon as I made the decision to relax and take the evening off. When I returned to my office the next morning, I was refreshed and ready to conquer the to-do list.

So, if you’re overwhelmed by work, life, chores, or worries, try using the following ‘rules’ for taking a break and BE instead of adding more DO to your life. You’ll be glad you did.

Some research-based rules for Balancing Do-ing and Be-ing:

1. STOP: Finish reading this article and then plan to do something joyful
2. FOCUS: Decide your core business model so you don’t spin your wheels and spend your time and money on things that won’t matter.
3. ACT with AWARENESS: Increase your productivity & creativity by resting your brain for 24 hours at least once per week.
4. PLAN: Work fills the time available so reduce your available time and increase your effectiveness.
5. STRATEGIZE: Think big picture by taking a 12-month perspective and planning your vacations and down time to help set goals and strategy.
6. GROW: Network to fill your business pipeline full.
7. EXERCISE: clear the mind and stay positive.
8. HYDRATE: Drink plenty of water to keep your body strong.
9. SUPPORT: Hire a professional certified life/business coach to support you to balance your Do/Be activities.