This weekend kicks off the summer season here in North America. Who else is excited for picnics, barbecues, time at the beach, summer concerts, etc.? I consider this post a PSA and a not-so-gentle nudge to get you to step away from your laptop and have a little fun this summer. 

Or, have a lot of fun, if you can take more time off.

Yes, it’s crazy out there, folks. And yes, you are important – maybe even crucial – to the success of your business. But does that mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) take time off from your business? Absolutely not!

Our egos can love being needed, but our bodies and minds need to get away from time to time.

Reconnect and recharge

We need to spend time with friends and loved ones. Feeling connected to others is critical for good mental health and longevity.

But this is often something that entrepreneurs don’t carve out time for, thinking they will do that when they have more time. The truth is, you may always feel like there is not enough time, so now is actually the perfect time to block your calendar, turn on the out-of-office response, and have some fun with people you love.  

Find white space or white sand

I promise that you will not be able to envision creative solutions or serve your clients well if you are exhausted and completely stressed out. It is almost impossible to think strategically when you are mentally and physically exhausted. 

We all need time away from our business. Even if you are a solo practitioner, it’s quite likely that you can set things up so you can have a real vacation. 

Document your processes 

If you feel that nobody can do what you do in your business, it is probably time to document your processes. Many small businesses do not do this.

Karl Staib wrote a great article for this blog on how to document processes so someone else can do them properly. If you are not doing this, or think you could do it better, I highly recommend you check out “Stop Wasting Time: How Systems Can Streamline and Scale Your Business.”

I am confident there are some things that someone else could do well and should take off your plate. 

Do what Carol Roth does

And here is a classic short video with me and Carol calling nonsense that you can’t step away from your business. Carol Roth didn’t take vacations for a long time, but then she realized how important they were, and started prioritizing time away with her husband above everything else.

In this video, Carol shares what she does to ensure she won’t come back to complete chaos.

Carol is one of the busiest people I know, so if she can take time off, you can too. 

Photo by Sean Oulashin on Unsplash