How to Take a Break and Still Come Back to a Thriving Business
I’m on a mini-vacation this week — my husband and I drove 3 hours to Saratoga Springs with our lovely cat Merlin.
I’m thrilled that Merlin did amazingly well on his first car ride, spending some of the time in my lap, and other times enjoying a pillow cushioned seat. Thanks to all of you that gave me such great suggestions over social media on traveling with cats.
I have to admit, I’ve been going pretty hard since this pandemic started. Working most days of the week and pivoting the company big time. I’m proud to say that I have successfully re-created all of our programs and launched some new ones. But man — there were lots of moments full of uncertainty and worry.
My guess is that you have been busy too — whether it was actually physically working hard — and/or mentally going hard — as in worrying a lot.
No matter what, it’s safe to say that as entrepreneurs during Covid crazy — we are all exhausted!
If you are like the majority of my clients — you are in need of a major break. One where there is no constant Covid or political commentary, where you can get some fresh air and take a breath.
Now depending on your situation, you may or may not be able to travel or leave your home — and that’s totally OK.
But you still deserve a break, a rest from the day to day, and some time away from your clients, services and products. Whether you do a staycation, a road trip, or brave a plane, I wanted to give you some tips to make the most out of your time off.
Before You Leave:
- Delegate any newsletters, promotional emails and social media posts to a team member or a subcontractor so that your marketing continues while you are away. You can find available folks on upwork.com or by just posting in your social media groups. You don’t have to commit long-term, just for the time you are away if you need to.
- Plan out your Revenue Generating Activities, like virtual speaking events, sponsorships, webinars to happen when you get back, so that you can jump into revenue generating immediately when you return (after your rest days, of course). This will also prevent a revenue dip while you are getting back into the swing of things.
- Write a list of all the things that you will be doing when you get back — so that you have something to refer to when your mind is foggy during those first few days post vacation.
While You Are Gone:
- If you have to work while you travel, pick one or two days to get it all done. That way you can spend the rest of your vacation chilling.
- Be sure to reinforce restful activities to help you let go — meditate each morning, move your body, and set intentions for how you would like to spend quality time.
- Make fun goals. This isn’t necessary for all of us — but sometimes we just can’t stop working! So make goals that are based on hobbies: read a novel, learn one of the suits in the tarot deck, watercolor for 30 minutes a day, have one deep conversation a day. Use that go-getter brain to go get something fun done!
When You Get Back:
- Be sure to get back early enough to give yourself 1-2 full days to recover from travel and integrate all that you have experienced. If that means coming back on Saturday instead of Sunday — do so.
- Don’t expect to jump into your work with the same vigor as you had before. You change when you travel, so be patient as you find a new rhythm that works for you. You might need to have some shorter days at first.
- Do your Revenue Generating Activities — immediately start doing your sales conversations and marketing activities so that you can start generating revenue. Stick to your plan.
The key to making vacations amazing is understanding and using the steps above. It’s how I manage to take vacations without worry, and come back stress free.
Here’s to you taking time off! Enjoy!
