We all need to stop regularly to take time to sharpen our mind and rest our body if we want to be truly creative in our life and work. Getting creative will empower you to move in an upward spiral of growth, change and continuous improvement.

It is important to identify what works best in helping you to rest and relax, thus renewing yourself and enabling you to be creative and have the stamina to achieve the life you want to live. A good place to start is to allocate some quality time to thinking about the life you are living and the life you want to be living and then thinking creatively about how you can bridge the gap. This is all about knowing where it is you want to bring your life and getting creative about how best to get there. It means having the courage to take time out to build up your energy and let your creative juices flow in the pursuit of the life you want to be living.

One of the best ways to do this is to know what activities give you energy and what activities take your energy. Then you can see what to spend more of your time on in order to build up your energy and creativity. One activity that gives me energy and fuels my creativity is travelling and this is something I try to do on a regular basis. I feel fully justified in taking some time out and spending the money to visit new places and meet new people.

This is what has me in Iceland this month. Of course, not everyone is interested in or has the resources and the time to travel regularly. Only when you do, allow yourself some time and space to let the creative thoughts, come in. And it is often that they come in the quietest of moments. So, like all self-leaders I’ll be taking some time out to relax, slow down and get grounded while here. Remembering that those who are more rested, relaxed, focused and continually allow themselves to be renewed and creative will perform better than those who are not.