If this is your 'down time' season, what are you doing to stay focused on the coming high season? Are you relaxing, updating the website, making changes to the rooms? What keeps your eye on the prize?
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Spare me the perky.
In the Off Season I...
Posted on Wed, 03/10/2010 - 10:06am
I enjoy "vacation moments" at our B&B! 
It is a good feeling when you enjoy your place like a guest would.
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Carolyn
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
Mark Twain
This is the first time in over 3 years where I have less to do. (construction the last 3 years) I'm looking forward to this new business, that is what keeps me going. I wanted this for over 20 years. Let the fun begain! 
We also are trying out all the rooms (it is fun) and we now have a list of things to change in each of them.
I'm actually spending my days watching my husband finish his renovations which I pray will be finished before the rush begins. I wish it were busier now but I should realize it will get busier. We seem to have a week coming up of one guest room each night. Why can't they all be the same night?
Every year at this time I wonder if one of us should go out and get another job, then May comes and I wonder what I was thinking.
Every year at this time I wonder if one of us should go out and get another job, then May comes and I wonder what I was thinking.
I think this in Nov and then realize in May it wouldn't work! But, those are long, lean months in between.
yes Nov. to May are our long lean months as well and I hate them. My DH says I should be enjoying the rest but he isn't the one who checks the bank balance every day and of course the bills still come. He is the optimistic one which I'm glad he is except sometimes I think he believes money grows on trees. We've only done this for 4 years and every year we have done better than I ever dreamed, but I still do not feel confident enough to believe it will keep happening. Renovations sure are costly and we are doing them all ourselves. Wow, I can't imagine hiring out. I have a DH who won't stop renovating. He may renovate us right into the ground.
I guess what I'm wondering is if I'm the only one who has a list as long as my arm and who stares out the window all day? If you're like me, how do you motivate yourself?
This year it's been easy (and not for the right reasons).
Although we stay open all year it's usually really easy to find down-time in the off season and take the chance to enjoy "us time". This generally means cranking up the music and dancing in our OQ or the parking lot until well into the morning. This year however DH is working at least 9 hours, 7 days a week on his other job, which means if I'm not getting sh!t done I'm going to feel horribly guilty.
My other MO is "all or nothing". I just finished "doing" paperwork - organizing, filing, moving .... stuff EVERYWHERE. No possibility of guests until it's all been sorted and put away again .... inherent motivation.
.... and yes - LISTS. I have two, side-by-side. The "stupid stuff" that simply gets side-lined time and time again and the bigger projects. I HAVE to do at least one of the "stupid stuff" items everyday.
It is very difficult when the weather is cloudy. We have had a HARSH winter with lots of snow, ice fog and now a week or so of clouds. Very depressing for me. We have guests tomorrow night, so I've GOTTA get the room ready.
For some reason the less expensive room is in demand this month, more expensive room, next month.
For some reason the less expensive room is in demand this month, more expensive room, next month.
That is how I know the seasons are changing! We go from most expensive to least expensive when summer is on the way!
My dear Mort you are most certainly not alone! Try to remember that you are in fact, *gasp* a human being who not only deserves but physically needs some true DOWN time...that means doing absolutely nothing.
If you need a rationale, look at it this way:
A person working a normal 9 to 5 job gets two days per week off, plus about 5 holidays/year, plus say 10 days vacation. That equals 119 days/year off. PLUS typically 1-2 hours/day when they are not working/cleaning/sleeping/whatever. Just OFF time.
For how many months of the year do you get NONE of that? Day after day of 18 hour work days with no time for yourself, no chance to sleep in, no change to just relax and be yourself...no time even for comfy clothes for heaven's sake!
You will always have a to do list, you won't always have these wonderful days when you can just BE. Enjoy it while it lasts!
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What you call love was invented by guys like me to sell nylons.
Dear Rupert .... ah yes - I too do those calculations whenever I'm trying to justify a day off. I can never enjoy a day that was taken "just because" as I always have that stupid list sitting in the back of mind. IF however I plan a day off (justified by hours of "yes buts" etc) I can really truly simply enjoy it.
Two years ago we decided to go to a nice B&B for 3 nights. So, we put the "We're not here" sign on the door, moved out of the OQ into the main house and lived in pjs for 3 days. I did a huge jigsaw puzzle because I figured it was the most useless, absorbing, inconsequential thing I could possibly occupy myself with and it involved covering most of the sitting room floor.
I like that! 'You decided to go to a nice B&B' and moved yourselves into the inn!
I'm doing that after next weekend. We have a lull coming up and it's time to test out the rooms. Of course, that's work, not fun, but it will feel like a vacation to be 'somewhere else.'
It really was enjoyable. I guess the real difference is that we actually used the house as if it was OURS. Didn't cover our tracks, didn't worry about being able to tidy up quickly, didn't have "presentable" clothing ready just in case ... and I remember laughing more than I had in quite a while.
FYI - I've found that giving myself a break usually pays enormous dividends. I really really HATE feeling resentful about getting things done, it's a soul-sucking emotion. The last few times I've "given myself permission" to take a day / an afternoon off, I've ended up getting even more done than usual. I'm happy to do it because I don't HAVE to and I feel fabulous when it's done.
I have no real problem taking time off. The real problem is getting any work done when I'd rather be outside driving around or going to the beach! So, for the slow times, I'm wondering how anyone gets themselves on a schedule so they actually do the stuff that needs doing when it's slow!
Like right now I have to make pillow shams. And have had to make them now for 3 months. Not getting done. Once I start, I'll finish them. But, I'd rather sit here and chat all day.
Every job is like that.
I wish I had the answer for that. I am Inertia-Girl. When I am in motion (busy with biz) I can stay in motion and get things done. But when it slows down and I am at rest, I tend to stay at rest, despite my best intentions.
What helps me to relaunch my motivation is writing down goals I want to acheive (as opposed to a mundane To Do list) and then outline the action steps I need to take to get there. Hopefully this all happens before I get too busy again to do anything but operational work!
My staring out the window is Spider Free Cell. I am a Champion Procrastinator!!!
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One thing I do is allow myself those days when doing nothing is okay. Staring out the window? A luxury to be refined, not feared.
That said, how I motivate myself to keep those days from taking over and actually getting through the list is a pretty simple method.
Like you, I have a list a mile long. It can be overwhelming to tackle it at all. So I break it down and prioritize everything on the list, to things I need to do ASAP, things I need to do sometime, and things I'd just like to do.
Every morning I have a cup of coffee and a just few quiet minutes before dealing with anyone or anything and I take a look at that list. And I prioritize which, if any, of those things I'm going to tackle today.
If I only decide to tackle one extra 15-minute task, I still feel all woohoo when I get it done. I know the rest of the list will be there tomorrow. Or the next day. But that's okay. Even if I get one little tiny task done, the list is shrinking and my feeling of accomplishment is growing. That's a good day, in my book.
Basically my method is to just take it one tiny thing at a time and not worry about all the rest.
It works for me.
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“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Pericles
something i did before the start of each season was to stay in each room ... as a guest ... get a real feel for it. bringing my personal things in and not going to my real room for anything during my 'stay'. this led to my switching the positions of the desk and the wing chairs in one room, changing placement of mirrors, adding shelf space in bathrooms, changing lighting. there were a couple rooms i didn't WANT to stay in ... the small rooms on the third floor ... and i spent a lot of time in there trying to figure out how to make them more inviting.
i also walked around with a camera and took pictures of the rooms, and minute movies. somehow, viewing the rooms (or any space) this way gives me a detached more objective perspective.
ps the idea of staying in the rooms is something i learned from this forum.
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' not all those who wander are lost ... ' jrr tolkien
There is no need to stay focused I am doing the same thing I always do, just less room cleaning and less yard work this time of year! Spent 2 hours chatting with lovely guests today. 
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Kindness not only makes the coffee. Kindness says good morning.
Enjoying every minute..as much as I can anyway.. We usually start our TO DO list in April.. Although the checking account gets a little slim around this time I still enjoy having the whole house to ourselves.
For me, this is the time of the trips to the Capitol, Conferences, putting together the services & program for the Lenten Services and (since I am Prez) attending, this year running the City Election, doing training classes, writing articles, choosing advertisig, and trying to get thru the off season with little or no in-bound but even more out-bound from the bank account.
My daughter told me she is coming in for her birthday to go to some Cub games (we will go to one with them) and we are going to talk about her "doing" 2 of my rooms for the 40s crowd - paint & decor.
BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own.
BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own.
Not required? Do they stay at B&B's often? BTW I got them for the under 30 crowd, not the 40 crowd. Just to clarify.
We have had our guests using the docking stations here. Not saying they are the same guests you would have there or any where else. Plenty have car chargers and headphones and don't travel with docking stations, but we have had guests use them. In fact, I was nervous thinking if they leave anything behind in the room it would be their ipod sitting on the docking station.
We have them personally and do not travel with speakers.
See, that is why I posted it. To get comments on how often they are used BEFORE I invest my paltry $$. I guess I will be getting them.
We have plenty of folks that use the docking stations here to recharge their iPods. Especially people that have left the computers at home. I always carry my laptop, so charge the iPod that way.
As the price drops on Smart Phones, I predict that we'll see more younger generation folks using them for music, movies, etc. BUT people that have put tons of music on their iPods already will continue to use them, especially people that use them for relaxation. Some of the combo clock radio/iPod docking stations are super cheap now.
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"You can't blame gravity for falling in love." ~ Albert Einstein
We have plenty of folks that use the docking stations here to recharge their iPods. Especially people that have left the computers at home. I always carry my laptop, so charge the iPod that way.
As the price drops on Smart Phones, I predict that we'll see more younger generation folks using them for music, movies, etc. BUT people that have put tons of music on their iPods already will continue to use them, especially people that use them for relaxation. Some of the combo clock radio/iPod docking stations are super cheap now.
The price is dropping on all the other phones, like the A T &T model $50 DH got yesterday to keep up with iPhone/Droid they are trying to compete..
We have plenty of folks that use the docking stations here to recharge their iPods. Especially people that have left the computers at home. I always carry my laptop, so charge the iPod that way.
As the price drops on Smart Phones, I predict that we'll see more younger generation folks using them for music, movies, etc. BUT people that have put tons of music on their iPods already will continue to use them, especially people that use them for relaxation. Some of the combo clock radio/iPod docking stations are super cheap now.
I don't take my docking station with me...don't need it......just my earphones..that's all i need. I do take my charger with me so I can keep it going.It's very small and fits in my travel bag easily. My new IPOD won't even charge on my old docking station ..but it will play...
OH well.
Vacationing right now - when we get home, inside chores (fixing up the powder room, and maybe we'll finally paint our own bedroom).
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Jeanne
All of the above! 
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