As entrepreneurs, we are used to working daunting hour, answering emails, promoting our business, implementing social strategies, creating products and this list goes on and on…. And because of our commitment and passion for what we do, we convince ourselves that we should always be working and to not take a vacation, a weekend off, or a day without constantly checking social accounts and emails. What I can promise is that your business will not fall apart if you take time for yourself. I am going through my go-to strategies that allow me to step away from the office and actually, rest.

BATCH YOUR CONTENT:

This is the true ticket to taking time off– plan, plan, plan! If your business is online, plan your content out for your time away. If you are a creator, make and ship your products before you leave. Clearly this requires a little (okay, a lot) of preparation before your trip, but it completely frees you up! And it is sooooo worth it. You know how it takes hours on end to create content, post oral social accounts, answer all your emails and beyond. It seems daunting because there are so many other things that need focus when you are running a business. So not only does batching help free your time for a vaca, but it also helps you to become more organized with preparing ahead of time. Working ahead allows you to truly enjoy that vacation you’ve looked forward to. Sound good? Thought so!

AUTOMATE:

You know all that work you just did? Now it’s time to schedule it! Use an automation platform to schedule your posts in advance! There are so many great platforms that allow you to do this such as Plannthat & Sendible to name a couple. The great part of automation is that your audience won’t even know you’re gone! They are getting the same content they are accustomed to, and YOU get to step away from hitting “publish”. What a bonus!

TALK OPENLY:

Let your audience know that you will be gone! Your audiences will know just how excited you are for this getaway & know that your responses could be delayed. My favorite way to do this is to post about our trip ahead of time, for the week or two leading up to it, and then setting a very clear auto-respond email while I am gone! This not only allows your clients to understand why they may not hear back away, but it allows you to not have to explain why you are not responding.

GO TEAM GO

Sometimes we have to let go a little and give the team the responsibility to make decisions while you are away! Big scary steps! It is so important to hire the right people, give them the tools to do their job, and then let them run with it. Throw away the idea that you are the only one who can do your job. So plan ahead, give the team clear expectations, and then let them put their wings on!

REST TAKES WORK

Sometimes we have to work at the idea of how to rest Ever since learning to allow myself to disconnect and trust that my business will not fail from a weekend off, I have a new perspective on taking time away. When you are exhausted, it is nearly impossible to be creative and dream big dreams. Ever since making rest a prioritity, I am now far more creative, more cutting-edge, more present, more alive. And I want that for you.Have I convinced you yet that we all need to take time for ourselves? I sure hope so! Being an entrepreneur has its advantages and disadvantages. We love sooooo much what we do that we often forget important things we love in life too. At the end of the day, your life isn’t about your business or the dollar in your bank account, it is about your soul, your mindset, & relationships. It’s time to stop working (for a second!), and start living. Got it???

Creatively Inspired,

Jenny