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Home » Business And Finance Articles » Pamper Me Please Self Care For The Busy Entrepreneur

Pamper Me Please! - Self Care For The Busy Entrepreneur

Why am I doing this? I just feel like I can't focus today! I feel like I'm not enjoying my job like I used to. What's the matter with me? I NEED A BREAK!!!!

When you are CEO, head nurse, mommy, head of janitorial services, and chief crafts coordinator, life can leave you a little weary sometimes. As a business owner YOU are your most valuable resource, so it makes sense to take care of yourself! When you start to feel overwhelmed, it's important to know when to slow down and take a break. Below you'll find 10 tips to help you take a vacation pamper and renew.

1) SCHEDULE A DAY OFF: Often when we are the busiest is when we need a break the most. Write a day in your calendar just for you. Promise to enjoy your time off. Turn off the computer, and don't answer the phone. Don't let guilt, or a list of impending deadlines steal your relaxation and enjoyment for the day. 2) MAKE TIME FOR THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR LIFE: Go on a date with you're your husband. Enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee with a friend. Steal away on a mommy and daughter/son breakfast. Write a special note to a friend or spouse letting you know how you feel about them. Give someone a long meaningful hug. Spend a little extra time cuddling with your children before bed.

3) TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE: Make up a holiday. Invite a friend to a "just because" lunch. Order out for pizza. At our house, we have a tradition called "pajama party". When we want to celebrate, we all get into our pajamas extra early, get all our pillows and blankets, pull out the sofa bed, snuggle up, watch a special movie, and tell each other stories. This is a special treat that the whole family REALLY looks forward to!

4) PAMPER YOURSELF: Indulge in a candle lit bubble bath. Listen to some soothing music. Read a juicy romance novel. Take a day at the spa. Soak up some sun at the beach. Sip a glass of wine and watch the sun set in your back yard. Why not buy yourself a bouquet of flowers?

5) NURTURE YOUR BODY: Treat yourself to plenty of sleep, eat balanced meals, drink lots of water, and take vitamins. If you've been neglecting a checkup, now's the time to schedule it! When you take care of your body, you'll have more energy and feel happier.

6) GET OUT OF THAT CHAIR & EXCERCISE: Sitting in your office chair all day isn't exactly the ideal workout. Head to the gym, take a walk thru the park, or take a dip in the pool. Take in a game of golf, racquetball or tennis. Exercise is a proven stress reducer!

7) CATCH A RAY OF SUNSHINE: Remember the song "I'm walking on sunshine, well...and don't it feel good?" There's nothing more energizing then feeling the sun on your face and breathing in some fresh air. Spend time in your garden, play ball with the kids, or take a trip to the park. I enjoy taking a "nature walk" right in my back yard. I walk slowly looking at each flower, and really taking each detail in again as if for the very first time.

8) BE A KID FOR A DAY: Forget your responsibilities for just one day. Put away your "to do list" and revel in all the things you'd like to do but shouldn't. Let your house be messy, sleep in, eat an ice-cream sundae for supper, and watch you're a funny movie. Make up a silly song. Put on your favorite CD and dance! Mix up a batch of monster size cookies! Let the little kid in your come out and play!

9) RENEW YOUR SPIRIT: Often in the busyness of life, we forget to take quiet time for ourselves. I encourage you to take time to journal, daydream, read the scriptures, and meditate. In stillness, you can tune-in to what really matters to you. Take time to listen to your heart, reflect and honor the quiet voice within.

10) GET A MAKEOVER: Do you feel pretty when you look in the mirror? If not, you deserve to! When you look good, you FEEL good. Get a new haircut or a manicure. Spoil yourself and buy a new outfit. Try a new perfume.

MY PERSONAL CHALLENGE TO YOU: All work and no play make Jack a dull boy! Don't wait until you are feeling burned out to take a break. I challenge you to take out your pen, flip thru your calendar, and schedule yourself a day off. When you are well rested, ou'll have a newfound energy, spark and passion to drive you forward to success!

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Facts You Should Know About Loan Types

When you set out to borrow, you often come across terms like unsecured loans, revolving loans, adjustable rate loans, etc. While these terms are more or less self-explanatory, it is still useful to be clear on their exact meanings and what they imply before you finalize a loan contract.

Unsecured versus secured loans

As the name implies, a secured loan is one where you offer collateral of some kind against the loan. That means, if you default on the loan, the lender has the right (but not the obligation) to take possession of the asset you have pledged.

In most cases, this asset would be what the lender has financed. For example, when you take a home loan, you offer the home as collateral.

There may also be cases where you may need to offer additional collateral over and above the asset that is being financed. This happens, for example, when the lender is financing close to 100% of an asset that is prone to rapid reduction in market value. In such cases, the lender may insist on your putting up another asset so as to provide a reasonable margin of protection to the lender in case of default.

Unsecured loans are those where such collateral arrangements do not exist. These loans are granted based on your credit standing, ability to repay and other factors.

All other factors being equal, a secured loan may be offered at a lower interest rate as compared to an unsecured loan. That's obviously because of the lower risk associated with the secured loan -- should you default, the lender has an asset to fall back on. Sometimes you end up with a choice -- you can take a loan on either a secured on an unsecured basis. The difference in APRs may be quite significant in such cases. However, being offered a choice like this is comparatively rare in consumer financing, but may exist in financing businesses.

Installment versus revolving loans

A revolving loan is one where you have access to a continuous source of credit, up to a pre-determined credit limit. If the limit is say, $10,000, you can borrow any amount up to $10,000. And typically, you can repay all or part of the amount you borrowed at a time of your choosing, within the overall tenor of the loan.

You pay interest only on the amount you borrow for the time you borrow it. Sometimes, banks may charge a commitment fee for making a revolving line of credit available to you. This fee is usually charged on the average unutilized amount of your limit.

You can also re-borrow the amount you have repaid. In effect, you have a loan that's always available to you on demand.

Unlike revolving loans, installment loans have a fixed repayment schedule. In most cases, the full amount of the loan is drawn down (i.e., borrowed) at once and both repayment schedule and amounts are fixed in advance. You do not have the option to re-borrow the amount that has been repaid.

Adjustable rate versus fixed rate loans

A fixed rate loan is one where the interest rate charged is fixed for the entire duration of the loan. The advantage is that you are immune to fluctuations in interest rates and can budget your cash outflows precisely. The disadvantage to you (the borrower) is that should interest rates fall, you lose in terms of opportunity costs. That is, you could have obtained a lower interest rate had you opted for an adjustable rate loan.

In practice, you can always choose to refinance the fixed rate loan at a lower rate if interest rates fall sharply enough to justify it. Bear in mind that your current lender may charge a pre-payment fee if you choose to repay before due date. So the difference in interest rates between your old fixed rate loan and the new loan should be large enough to justify a switch.

An adjustable rate loan is one where the interest charged fluctuates in line with a benchmark rate. This benchmark rate is usually the Prime Rate, which is what the US Treasury charges its prime (or best) borrowers. The advantage of an adjustable rate (or floating rate) loan is that what you are paying is more or less in line with the market. If interest rates decline, so do your costs and vice versa. The disadvantage is that your cash outflows for interest are unpredictable.

As a borrower, if you hold the view that interest rates are going to decline, it is best to opt for an adjustable rate loan. But arriving at the correct view consistently is easier said than done. Predicting interest rates is a game where even professional market participants and institutions frequently go wrong.

If it is important to you to be able to budget for your interest obligations in advance, a fixed rate loan may be the best choice. After all, you can refinance it should the interest rates fall significantly.

Keeping these basic facts in mind should help you make more informed borrowing decisions.