Dodge Burnout While Continuing to Grow Your Hospitality Business Month Over Month
By Daniel Zolinski | October 16, 2023
I recently traveled to a lake in Tennessee called South Holston Lake. At one end of the lake is a dam where you can set up a chair, look out over the lake and enjoy the beautiful sunset. I didn’t have my phone, nor my computer. It was just me enjoying the views with a good book. It was a recharge I needed, both personally and professionally. It’s something I’ve relied on for the past few months to help me dodge burnout and grow my business with sustained clarity. After all, entrepreneurship is a soulful journey, not one of endless hustle. That’s why Soul Trips are my most important weapon for battling burnout and ensuring I stay on track. In today’s article I want to share my Soul Trip system with you so you can implement it into your own hospitality life. I’m confident if you act on what I’m sharing with you here, your vision and clarity will be reignited like never before.
- Choose a remote, nature-immersed destination.
We spend too much of our lives surrounded by stimuli. It’s estimated the average person makes as many as 35,000 decisions per day! For your Soul Trip, we want to get away from the busyness and distractions. Select a location that allows you to be fully surrounded by the wonder of nature, such as a national park, a cabin in the woods, a campsite by a lake, or even an international retreat. Nature is our greatest mentor. Being fully surrounded by it not only offers unparalleled clarity but also teaches us lessons we won’t find anywhere else. It’ll also improve creativity in your hospitality endeavors.
- Completely unplug for 4+ days.
Commit to truly disconnecting for the duration of your Soul Trip. Leave behind as many distractions as possible. Eliminate outside stimuli to calm your mind and heighten your awareness. This trip is a chance to break from routine and dopamine detox. Make sure to bring a pen and notebook along…you might be shocked at how many ideas and solutions to problems will appear once you step away.
- Foster meaningful connections and experiences.
Soul Trips are more than simply taking a break and getting away. They are about forging deeper human bonds and collecting priceless stories. I recommend you have one or two other people close to you join you for your Soul Trip. Share intimate discussions about life’s deepest topics. Dreams, regrets, goals, and relationships. Hearing the perspectives of others and sharing your own experiences helps you make better, calculated decisions moving forward and you can carry this understanding and knowledge of others into the hospitality environment.
- Practice “forest bathing.”
The Japanese prescribe ‘forest bathing’ for mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. The goal? Slow down and become immersed in the natural environment. Consciously choose to take in your surroundings through all five senses.
I understand it can be difficult to step away from responsibilities that the hospitality industry throws at us. We get burnt out without even realizing it. After you take your own Soul Trip, you will come back rejuvenated and feeling like a whole new person. The productivity and success you will see post-Soul Trip will be incredible. For more questions on dopamine detoxing and refreshing your hospitality mind, email me at danielzolinski@smarterthought.com.
