Why the Best Business Advice Sounds Like Tech Support...

One of our kids is studying computer science and engineering. They're smart and handy at giving me tech advice and support.

They have been studying for five years, and the most common advice they repeatedly offer when I have a problem is…

"Have you tried unplugging and waiting a minute before trying again?"

Frustrating right? Thousands of dollars are being invested in education, and this is the nugget of gold I get offered?

The most frustrating thing? It usually works.

Here's the thing - the same principle applies when running a business.

How often do you feel frustrated because a client didn't show up or overwhelmed by all the things that need to get done before the end of the day?

What would happen to those feelings if you unplugged yourself from your business, from your frustration and overwhelm, for just a minute and gave yourself a break before trying again?

Instead, what do you actually do?

You tell yourself it needs to be addressed now. You don't have time to wait. You wallow in the frustration of having to reschedule or have difficult conversations about no-shows. You feed the overwhelm by giving yourself the highlight reel of EVERY LITTLE THING that needs to get done before you can have a break.

It's like hitting the refresh button on your computer screen, expecting the system to magically correct itself and wondering why nothing changes.

But what could a real refresh look like for you? Imagine getting up from your desk and going outside to sit in the sun for a moment… or heading to the kitchen, putting on the kettle for a cup of tea and stretching your muscles while you wait.

Genuinely unplugging yourself from the situation, the drama and the emotions just for a moment.

Why do it? It works.

That momentary pause acts like a circuit breaker. It interrupts your regular programming and gives you the opportunity to decide – do I want to return to frustration and overwhelm, or is there another option I'd like to explore? One that might actually help solve the problem instead of just feeding it?

The irony isn't lost on me.

My kid's simple wisdom cost thousands in tuition fees to learn, but it's proving to be worth its weight in gold when it comes to business sanity.

Sometimes the most sophisticated entrepreneurs need the simplest solutions.

Sometimes the answer isn't working harder or faster – it's knowing when to unplug and reset.

Because just like with technology, when you're stuck in a loop of frustration and overwhelm, the system isn't going to fix itself. You need to interrupt the cycle.

The question is: are you brave enough to hit pause?