If you are an entrepreneur, perhaps you’re one of the ones whose friends look to you as “living the good life” or “having it made.” In their eyes, as they fight commuter traffic or pull themselves out of bed to reluctantly go to their 9 to 5 job, you have the ideal life: you can work in your pajamas, at home, when you want. (Even if you don’t, that’s the perception, so why should you change it???)
Although they may envy you Monday to Friday for most of the year, when they get their 3 or 4 weeks of vacation, you’re the one with envy!
If you are in the planning stages of a new business, or if you are in the exciting growth stages of business, you need to plan a vacation for yourself. Right now!
A vacation gives you the opportunity to:
- “De-stress.” According to your friends, you may live the ultimate life but little do they know the stress you feel day in and day out; will the bills get paid? Will there be customers next month? Will income cover expenses? Every day, you ask yourself questions like this; these questions and their unknown answers add stress to your life. It’s not always bad – it can keep you motivated to press on – but too much of it without a break can be overwhelming.
- Get out of the “system” for a new perspective. After days and months of doing the same things, you have likely atrophied and don’t even know it. Perhaps you have become stuck in a way of thinking or you’ve developed some bad work habits. Or maybe you have been so busy you haven’t had time to think about the next stages of your business. A vacation will do wonders for you in this area. You’ll get a different perspective and come back completely renewed.
- Build relationships with those you love. If you’ve started a business recently, your family has given up a lot for you to succeed. If you are about to start a business, you can be sure that you’ll see a lot less of your family for the initial stage of business. That’s part of the sacrifice everyone has to make in order to make it work. They have sacrificed for you, now it’s time to reward that sacrifice with some time with them, devoted exclusively to them!
- Get some exercise. Many entrepreneurs – especially e- business owners – spend all day at a desk; on the phone or on the computer. Whether your vacation has you cycling or swimming, or just smiling a little more, you’ll use muscles you haven’t used in a while. That’s good for your body, and your mind.
Planning your new business or planning the next phase of our business? Plan a vacation into the mix. There is no downside to some time away from the business, and there’s plenty of upside.
