What has become of those lazy summer days when work took on an easy, breezy pace and folks took time to slow down and appreciate life or plan for the future? If you’re like me, and most of the nonprofits I work with, it’s been many a summer since we’ve felt the pace let up—things just seem to keep clipping along at breakneck speed.
Even if you can’t find significant chunks of time to relax, regroup and think ahead, I know that each and every one of us can find 30 minutes to one hour during our work week to stop the day to day grind and read something new.
This coming week, see if you can’t find a shady spot outdoors, come in to the office 30 minutes late or even find a room, close the door and read while you eat your lunch (I won’t even pretend that most of you get out of the office for lunch).
I suggest starting with a wonderful report titled, Convergence: How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector from LaPiana Consulting.
From there, I leave it up to you:
- Google a topic you’ve wanted to learn more about and pick an article or blog post to help you get up to speed
- Check out your favorite Twitter stream, click on a link and read what’s there
- Get that book off your shelf that you started, but haven’t had time to finish
- Ask your staff to email you them most important article they’ve read in the last year
The crazy pace of summer may not allow you to do anything with the new information you’ve found in your reading, but I can assure you that knowledge is now firmly planted because you were intentional about taking the time to sow the seed. When the time is right for you to implement—maybe next summer when I’m sure things will slow down!—you’ll be ready and be grateful for having taken a brief time-out.
- Caryn Capriccioso, Co-Founder, InterSector Partners L3C
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