As an Entrepreneur, I find it hard to switch off. The week before I go on holiday is usually a marathon of meetings and emails and projects, until I find myself staying up the night before departure, packing and leaving feeling exhausted, with the distinct sense that I have forgotten something.
But once I start my vacation, without fail, I always think to myself 'why didn't I do this sooner. It doesn't take long, once I am seated in the aircraft, or past the city boarders in my car, a feeling of expectation and excitement hits and I start to enjoy myself.
Rufus ready for his Eurotunnel Journey
So now, while on the last days of my holiday, I'm going to book my next vacation. While in the middle of all of these great feelings, feeling rested and enjoying the sunshine, I am on my laptop, not for work, but to make sure I schedule the next time I will rest and recharge. Because I know if I don't do it now, I will not do it when I'm at my busiest.
Even if it's a short weekend break, the opportunity to rest and recharge has amazing impact on my delivery. My creativity soars, my team get the opportunity to work independently without me looking over their shoulder, I read books that have nothing to do with work, and all of these things make me a better business person.
So before you are in the midst of the end of year grind, here are 10 reasons that I hope will convince you to book your next break today...
- While on vacation, you actually have the time to do it. When you are the midst of working, it's hard enough to take a break, much less plan an extended break. With the bit of free time that you have now, use it to plan something to look forward to.
- Because you are in the midst of your holiday, you know how good it feels and are more likely to follow through with the planning.
- You have something to look forward to in the short term, giving yourself a time-bound goal to look forward to
- You are putting yourself first, giving yourself the much needed break that enables you to serve others
- Planning a break in helps you give your team, clients and the other people you work with, advance notice, which facilitates switching off when you are actually on holiday.
- You are widening your experience, which in turn makes you a better business person with a variation of experiences to contribute to problem solving
- Your team get the opportunity to work without you, which encourages independence, ownership of results and innovation
- Your brain is learning new things and creating new synapses making you a smarter, better person
- You get the space to focus on long term visions and strategic goals. Instead of being caught up in the detail of operation, you give yourself room to think about the long term vision for your life
- You get the room to focus on the important relationships in your life and to spend time with people outside of the context of work.
Tell me, have you booked your next break?