If you take time off and still have to work… is it really a vacation?

I daresay it’s not!

And yet I get it… as business owners this is easier said than done. We have clients who rely on us. Stuff to be done. The business needs to keep on running even when we want to step away for a few days, a week or more. (We might even be just a *little* bit addicted to our work, but hey… that’s a convo for another time.)

So does this mean we never get to take time off? Heck no!

What it means is that we need to be PURPOSEFUL and PLAN for how we are going to take time off… unplugged, no checking in with clients or team kind of time.

It all starts with asking yourself one question:

“If I was to take this week off [INSERT DATE HERE], what could fall apart while I’m away?”

What is on my to-do list for the week? What are my ongoing tasks that need to be completed?
What could happen with clients? With team? With projects?
What could stall? Or fall apart?

Take a few minutes and make a list… go ahead, I’ll wait here for you.

…

Now let’s look at your list and run it through the following filters…

• Which of these things could I get done ahead of time?
• Which of these things could wait until I’m back?
• Which of these things could I ask someone else to take care of for me?

Mark each item on your list accordingly, and then it’s time to make some decisions.

• For those things that could be done ahead of time, set aside some extra time to do so (I get that this isn’t 100% ideal as it means working more before you take time off, but that can still be worth it to enjoy some for real unplugged time)
• For those things that could wait until you are back, go ahead and reschedule them (we often think things *need* to be done when in fact it could be OK to postpone them for a week or so)
• For those things that other folks can take care of in your absence, this is where we need to create solid, documented processes so that others can do the work while we are away (and that we work together to train and empower them to feel confident to take care of things during this time.)

This is exactly what we are doing in my business right now. Each of us on the team has chosen a week off this summer, and then each person is responsible to ask themselves this question and plan/prep accordingly (with a focus on updating/documenting our processes so that as a team we can take care of each others work.)

Whether it’s a stay-cation or a ‘travel again now that the world is opening up’ style vacation – my wish for you is to be able to fully unplug, rest and enjoy some time just for YOU. (Because we all need it!)

I’m curious – what are your plans for taking time off this summer? Pop a comment below and let me know…