Developing a Break from the Routine
The break from the selling routine will actually help you be more productive in the long run
This excerpt is from the book, Carry That Quota, pages 81-82
A vital element of self-care is developing ways to break
from the routine. I came to appreciate this while I was on the
bus coming home to my apartment in Sydney, Australia. I
was wracking my brain over the pile of work that I needed to
finish when I got home. The day had gotten away from me,
and I was not able to get everything done at the office. As
the bus pulled up to the Maroubra Beach stop, I got off and
began trekking up the hill to my apartment. With my head
still buried in work, I noticed a group of men in business suits
getting off the bus with me. They walked over to their parked
cars, but as they approached the vehicles, they did something
unexpected. They started taking off their suit jackets and
ties and took out surfboards and wetsuits. As I kept walk-
ing up the hill, I turned around a few times and marveled
as they sprinted into the ocean with their surfboards. Here I
was headed home to continue working, and these guys were
headed into the Pacific Ocean to wash the day away.
I was clearly missing something.
I began observing this group of men each day as I boarded
the bus home, and their routine was the same. They would
leave their corporate jobs around 5:30 p.m., hop on the bus,
arrive at the beach, and get into their surfing outfits and
jump in the ocean. It took time, but I began to develop my
own post-work routine, which helped me to decompress
from the day. Sometimes, I would go for a swim; on other
occasions, I would go for a walk, but the simple act of doing
something to create balance in my life was important.
The takeaway is that working hard is fine, but working hard
all of the time is not. It is critical to step away from work
and have hobbies and activities that enable you to escape
the routine. This can take the form of recreational activi-
ties, as well as travel/vacation and finding opportunities to
unplug. I have worked with hundreds of salespeople in mul-
tiple parts of the world, and I have been inspired by their
activities outside of work. Examples like cooking, cycling,
reading, practicing stand-up comedy, traveling, running, or
shopping exemplify the kinds of activities that I have seen
salespeople do to escape the routine.
It does not matter what “it” is for you, but you must have
something that enables you to break from the work routine.