Entrepreneurs tend to work longer hours and take less time for themselves than any other. As a business owner, it is attractive to work continuously. There is always something that must be done and new opportunities to explore. Saying no and taking down-time seems counterintuitive. This pace, however, is unsustainable. You can work hard and get a lot of impressive things accomplished, but there will come a time when you become burnt out. How do you avoid this? The answer seems obvious when you stop to realize that it’s summer time - most people are taking some sort of a vacation, trip, or holiday. You should find a way you can partake in this confusing and seemingly counterproductive tradition. Below are some the things you will find once you take time away.
- The more you are involved in the day-to-day part of your business, the further away you will find yourself from your original mission and purpose. The details and minutia of your business will distract you from the big picture. I have been asked by other business owners if they should continue or close the business. To me, this is an example of a business owner who has lost their way in the details of the day-to-day aspects of their business. My answer is always the same, I ask why did you start your business, and do you still feel the same way. These two questions allow the person to stop and really begin to answer those questions. Reach deep and understand how they really feel about their business. This allows them to quickly re-gain perspective. There is a famous saying, “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. I find this statement to be very true with your business. The bottom line is, we all must get away to fall back in love with why you do what you do.
- We have talked about taking breaks before when it came to being overwhelmed. In that case the break was to afford you the time to plan through the sea of tasks/projects/deadlines/etc. Well, this is similar. A well-planned break will prevent most of these things. I always like a good preemptive strike. I know it is hard to get away and it is very stressful leading up to your time off. Then, of course there is the stress of what will be waiting for you when you return. But, go you must! Time away allows for the brain to come up with fresh ideas and perspectives. Business trends and markets move quickly. You must be able to notice what is going on before it impacts your industry and company specifically. You may also use the time to reevaluate your goals. You may have different goals than you did when you started. How can you take the time to think about the goals you should be focusing on, if you don’t stop and really give it the attention it requires and demands? Take the break and come back recharged, excited, and full of brilliance!
- One surprising or scary part of taking time away, is it forces your business to continue without you. Ever wonder what would happen to your business if something happened to you? Here is a little test run. You must have faith in your people and in your systems. How will they handle things when you are not there to hold everything together? What lessons will they learn? What new ideas, processes, and contributions will they offer in your absence? This could be an amazing discovery for both you, your team, and your business. If things go a little array, that simply identifies the systems and processes that you need to build, reinforce, and pay more attention to. This will show you the best parts of your business and team and some of the weaker parts as well. What business owner does not want that invaluable information that you may not find out otherwise.