If you’re an entrepreneur like me then your business is your baby. You’ve built it from the ground up and invested countless hours in perfecting its operations, sales, and offerings. Leaving your business to take a vacation may feel like abandoning a piece of yourself. Successful entrepreneurs feel like taking their eyes off the road even for just a moment can derail company momentum. The truth is that for every reason you have to stay at the helm 24/7, there are at least three more reasons to support you stepping away and getting some much deserved R&R. That’s right. Take a vacation. These three reasons may convince you why it’s in your, and your company’s best interest, to invest in some downtime for yourself.
Chances are you need a vacation (and bad).
Even the most talented distance runners eventually need to rest. In your case, you may have been sprinting this entire time. Provide yourself an opportunity to unplug from the business and allow your five senses to return to you. A vacation doesn’t have to be an exotic destination, but it should be far enough away that you can’t easily show up and jump in again. Take the time away to clear your mind and decompress. Your body needs the rest too. The day to day stresses of entrepreneurship can be daunting and do in fact take a physical toll. You may be projecting those stresses onto your staff and possibly your family. Relieve yourself, and them, of the undue pressure.
Guess what? Your staff need you to take a vacation.
Yes. They need you to leave too. Foster an environment of growth and learning by allowing your team to tackle the challenges together, or on their own, but in your absence. Not only will they learn, but they’ll also feel a renewed sense of purpose as you’ve entrusted your entire business operations to them. Employees will be more loyal because of it, and more often than not, they will gain a new perspective on your commitment to the company.
Another reason they need you to take a vacation, is to set a good example. For the same reasons you need to take some time to rest and recuperate, so do they. Don’t set a precedence of burnout in your organization.
Inspire business growth.
You’ll come back from your vacation with a renewed sense of purpose. Giving your mind a chance to refuel can allow some of your best ideas to come to the forefront. I actually was inspired to start StringCan while on a family vacation! Return to your business with a clear mind and pinpointed focus on your next objective. Recognize that in your absence, your staff has grown too. Allowing them the ability to think like you, the owner, in making decisions has inspired them as well. Align your new company-wide spirit of growth and inspiration and use it to launch your business to higher levels.
The most successful entrepreneurs take their vacation time just as seriously as they do every other aspect of their business. They schedule annual time away from the office just as they do budget reviews and quarterly goals. Learning to step away will help you, inspire your team, and ultimately offer a growth opportunity for your company. For more entrepreneur best practices or tips on preparing your staff for operations while you’re gone I’d love to hear from you!
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