Truth: As a business owner, for the most part I get to decide what to do every day. Some days that can be a blessing (all right, most days), and sometimes it’s a curse (especially without a team of coworkers to help keep the creative juices flowing). Some days I design things. Some days I print things. Other days I answer emails nonstop. And then some days… I bake. Today I made lemon cranberry scones at the shop, and the mere act of doing something out of the ordinary with my day made me feel more energized. For me, a huge part of maintaining motivation and encouraging my own professional growth is mixing things up from time to time. We aren’t robots, and we shouldn’t behave like ones. When we get burnt out, we need to listen to what that’s telling us… and take a break.

Earlier this week I seriously struggled to find any sort of inspiration. I wasn’t feeling creative; I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated to work on orders or tackle administrative stuff. I was in a creative slump. I was tired. I was grumpy. I knew from experience “this too shall pass,” but I wasn’t happy and knew something had to give. In those times, it doesn’t hurt to ask yourself what you can do differently to help things turn around, even if it’s not related AT ALL to what you’re “supposed” to be doing every day.

In order to get back on track, sometimes I have to completely disconnect from my routine. So, today I brought my cookbook to work, along with a sack of ingredients, and I baked scones. From scratch. I even made my own buttermilk. {Yeah, it’s super easy.} And you’ll never guess what happened after that glorious hour of mixing, baking, and glazing. I sat down and plowed through 4 more hours of proofing, organizing, and taking new orders, and on top of that, I had the satisfaction of knowing I had some kick-ass homemade scones to take home and share with friends over the weekend.

What can YOU do with an hour today to reclaim your creativity? Sometimes all you need to get back on track is, well, a different track.