If you are a business owner, or even a manager, it can be tough to take time off. You tell yourself you have too much to do, and only you can get it done. You mentally run down the list of things that could go wrong if you aren’t there. “Nope, too risky. There’s no way I take a vacation now. Maybe next year.” With careful planning, you can risk being away from your business for a few days. And you will gain much-needed benefits that taking a break provides.
Everyone Needs a Break
At some point, you really need to take a break from the daily stress of running a business. Give your body and your mind a rest. A vacation will also give you time to think and gain perspective. You’ll come back to work with “fresh eyes” and new ideas. Most importantly, your family needs you to spend time with them. Take them away somewhere, have fun, and build memories!
Advance Planning
Spontaneity can be exciting, but vacations are best when planned in advance. You know when your busy and slow times of the year will be, so schedule time away accordingly. Be kind to yourself by not giving yourself a heavy workload to finish the week before your departure date. Manage your time by working a little extra each of the few weeks leading up to it—not killing yourself at the last minute. Likewise, don’t leave a pile of things that need to be done immediately when you return; you’ll dread coming back.
Put a Trusted Employee in Charge
Choose someone to call the shots in your absence and make sure your other employees know who is in charge. Be clear about what you expect from your people while you are gone. Be prepared for Murphy’s Law. In other words, if an emergency is going to happen, it will happen when you aren’t there to handle it. Give your employees a list of contacts to call in case of a crisis, such as computer / internet problems, building maintenance, supplier issues, etc.
Unplug – or Don’t
We won’t make this call for you, but decide whether you are going to completely disconnect from work, or check in occasionally. Today’s technology and collaboration tools make it easy to get quick updates. Consider which approach will help put your mind at ease. Set your boundaries and stick to them.
Enjoy Your Vacation
Finally, remember why you are going on vacation — to relax and have a great time with your family. It might take a day or two for you to get your mind off work, but you will be glad you did and better for it.