Vacation State of Mind
Have you ever gone away on vacation and come back feeling like you still need a vacation? When you own your own business, it is harder to walk away and take time off. It's a fact! People rely on you. You have customers, employees, and vendors all looking to you for guidance. You may also have your family looking to you to not only plan the vacation but schedule the activities you are doing while you are away. You spend the whole time you are gone wondering if there is something you forgot to do before you left or what mess might be waiting for you when you return. It's a lot! So how can you go into vacation feeling prepared and relaxed and actually enjoy yourself while you're gone? One word: PLANNING.
I know many of you hate it when I say to plan ahead. You want to be more in the moment and feel like planning creates constraints and doesn't allow for freedom. Well, I am here to tell you the opposite is true. Planning creates freedom for you to live within the constraints that you have set. Planning equals free reign to let go and enjoy the moment.
How do we do it?
#1 You decide ahead of time what type of vacation you want to have. Option A: You want to check your email once a day to keep in touch with your employees and clients. Option B: You want to check your email AND do some actual work while on vacation. Option C: You want to fully disconnect and not do any work-related tasks.
#2 If you choose Option A: Look at your itinerary and decide the best time to set aside one hour uninterrupted to check your emails. You may need to stay flexible; maybe one day, it's early in the morning; maybe the next day, it's midday; and the next in the evening. You decide based on what is best for you to show up and succeed. Then you tell your clients and employees this schedule so they know what to expect. You can even set up your email reply to state the times you will be checking emails so people know and will understand the delay.
#3 If you choose Option B: Set aside two hours a day to check emails (one hour) and complete project work (one hour). Again, communicate with your employees and clients when you will be online and available. Ensure that if you are stepping away from vacation, you have uninterrupted time…this is KEY for success. Studies show how focused time is much better than interrupted time.
#4 If you choose Option C: Set aside time a week or two before vacation to figure out:
What needs to be delegated while you are gone? With this list, assign each task to your employees with a date and time you would like it completed. Allow them time to ask you questions to ensure success. The last thing you want to do when returning from vacation is to put out a fire because you didn't properly communicate with your employees what success looks like for this task.
What you may need to reschedule to ensure you can be fully present on your vacation.
Who do you need to notify with an email or phone call of your absence? Think key clients, employees, etc.
When should they call? Establish boundaries for emergencies that warrant interrupting your vacation time. Clearly communicate these boundaries to your clients and employees. Without preemptive communication, you may find yourself fielding calls, text messages, or emails when you should be disconnecting.
With some forethought, you can step away from work to take a vacation on YOUR TERMS. If you decide to work and check email during your trip, don't beat yourself up about it while you're gone. Embrace your choice, see how it feels while you're away, and when you return, evaluate if this decision worked for you, so you can use that knowledge the next time you go on vacation.
Which option you decide doesn't matter. What matters is you decide ahead of time, notify those that matter, and stick to your plan.
If you need any help with this, email me at michelle@lifeaholicllc.com. I would love to set up a no-obligation Zoom call to discuss your vacation desires and help you set yourself up for success.