As I write this, I am sat in a field, smelling the fresh cut grass, enjoying the view over the river and loving the English sunshine. It is one of those perfect days that we occasionally get in the UK where the weather is fantastic, not too hot, not too cold. The thing is, it is still before 5, and I have been here for 30 minutes already. Oh, and it is Friday. In theory, I should be at the office, sat at my desk, working hard. That is what I expect of my staff, and it is what I expect of myself. Whenever you see a business man on TV, he has a suit and tie and is either in his office or on his way to visit someone in an office. That was my life for a long time. I love the office as well, I really do. We have a great place to work and have worked hard to provide a good working environment for all of us. There aren't many workplaces that can boast of having their own gym and thermal spa suite with 5 saunas and a steam bath at the office, but we can. More and more, though, I am of the opinion that the "sit-at-a-desk" model of business needs to change, especially for the entrepreneurs driving the business forward. There are a number of reasons why I think this:

Rest

If you are like me at all, you cannot stop working. Even when you are sat at home watching a movie, you have the laptop on your knee and you are doing something from checking emails to writing quotes. Business, life and work all seem to merge together, and I think that is OK if you love what you are doing and have a passion for it. But we all need to rest. Sitting in the park today, listening to a Podcast (albeit about business) has been really restful. I managed a 10 minute snooze too and feel loads better.

Space to think

This is perhaps the most important reason for me. When I am in the office, I am constantly interrupted by the phone, email and staff. There is a to do list that is constantly nagging at me (and it always gets bigger, never smaller). Yet when I step out of that environment, the interruptions stop and I have time to think. It is brilliant. I can think about things, brainstorm, mindmap, write, draw and all the other amazing things that you can do when you escape your desk. And too be honest, I have always had the best business ideas when I have gone out on my bike, for a stroll through the park or some time out in the quiet corner of a coffee shop. Try it, taking with you nothing but a notebook and pen (analogue kind) and a book to read. Sit in the park for a few hours, head to the beach, get on your bike or go sit in Starbucks. You'll soon discover all kinds of answers or ideas that you wouldn't ordinarily have until you escape the desk.

People Step Up

It is easy in our office to ask me a question. It is an open office, and we deliberately set it up that way but it is probably the main reason I get interrupted. The thing is, when I am not there I don't get a whole bunch of calls from the office, maybe one or two, but not lots. It is not as easy to get me on the phone so people think through their problems for themselves. It is magic, they step up and solve the problem or answer the question that they would have otherwise asked me. I think the team becomes more productive and they are better for it.

[caution]It is easy to think "I should be back at the office". You feel guilty or out of control, both of which are things that you should deal with.  There is no need for either.[/caution]

Make it a priority

I am speaking more to me here than anyone else. As I sit here, I realise that it has been a while since I have done this. Work has been busy, really busy recently - so I have been constantly responding to things. Maybe that was right? Maybe that was a season? But it has been too long. I had to fight hard to get out early today, I didn't leave until 4. I should have escaped at lunch. A good rule for me that I try and follow is this: 50% office time, 50% working some where else time. I definitely don't always achieve that balance, it is a tall order but for me it is a desirable one at this stage of my business life. Wherever you are at, try and escape your "desk" at least one afternoon a week, even you are self employed and don't have a team working for you. You can forward your calls to an answering service and pick up messages later. I wish I had started doing this much sooner, I can tell you. So have a go, see what happens. I am pretty sure that you'll be better at what you do because of it.