As a business owner I’ve had a recurring fantasy: the notion of taking time off whenever I want, worry free. After all, I’m the boss and beholden to no one. Yet, the crushing reality is when you’re in charge, taking time off seems near impossible. There’s always so much to be done and plenty of reasonable excuses to never take a meaningful break.
Rationally, I understand taking time off is essential to mental health. I’d argue my ability to run my business smartly depends on it. Emotionally, I fear that if I step away I won’t make deadlines, or worse yet, be forgotten. Plus, there are practical challenges to taking time off because building a business is constant effort.
At some point I realized I couldn’t keep pretending I was Superman and never needed to decompress. So, last summer I made a conscious effort to start taking care of my mental health, as well as my physical health (OK, that’s still a work in progress too. Did someone say fried chicken and waffles?).
My plan? Create strong delineation between work and play, especially when on vacation. Here are my rules for balancing work and play while away on holiday.
As a writer, podcaster and content creator, I think about the material I’ll need to submit to various clients, as well as to support my own brand. Then, I start plotting how to get it all done beginning more than two months before departure date. By consciously working to get ahead, I’m able to ensure to all deadlines that occur while I am away and the week I return are met way in advance. I make many lists and check them off as I go, so I can feel a sense of success as I get closer to vacation time. Plus, planning so far in advance helps me set goals while minimizing the stress of seamlessly shoehorning in extra work.
Turns out the biggest issue in taking time away from clients was my own misguided thinking. If the work’s done and your client’s expectations are met or exceeded, they’re typically happy for you going away. But of course, make it clear they can reach you in an emergency. That’s usually enough for a client to leave you to enjoy yourself.
While on vacation and staying at a Best Western Hotels & Resorts location, for example, I like to get up before the family. These days that’s not hard since I have teenaged boys who sleep much later than me. So I head down to the complimentary breakfast. While eating fresh fruit and drinking more than enough coffee, I check email and make sure I’m up to date on the little things. When the twins were little, I’d head down to the lobby while Mommy put the boys to bed in the evening. Rather than coffee, I’d have a cold beer and catch up. Either way, that’d be the only time of day I’d allow work to enter my brain.
That computer in your pocket is a highly addictive instrument. For me, I use it to take photos, so I need to keep it with me. So, I’ll shut off email features and swear off the internet. After 24 hours the insatiable impulse to check the phone starts to wane, and soon enough you’ll ween yourself from looking at it. Just understand whatever email you’re getting can wait and if there’s an emergency your client will let you know.
With these basic tips, you’ll be able to focus on family, and your well-earned vacation time. Just be sure to stay away from the trappings of work when you’re supposedly off duty. Good luck and happy vacationing!