When we first start out in business, one of the major draws is freedom. Whether we want time to travel, to be more present with our kids, or to simply create our own schedules, the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship can be pretty appealing.
However, if we’re not careful, our work can easily take over our lives. We get so caught up in the busyness of building our dream business, that we forget about doing so in a way that allows us to also enjoy our dream life.
Whether you’re just starting out and are hustling to make things work, or you’re achieving solid success but feel like you’re trying to hold it all together. It’s not uncommon to feel like you can’t take a break from your business. Many business owners worry that everything will fall apart if they take some time away.
If this is you, take a deep breath. Whether it’s setting boundaries and not working beyond a certain time each day, restructuring your schedule so that you have a full day or two off each week, or making plans to take a work free vacation. I promise that your business will be more successful if you take some time away.
Here’s why:
Time away creates healthy boundaries for your business and life.
Frequently, I’ll hear business owners talking about how they’ll take time off from their business when… they have a certain number of clients, they pass a specific income goal or they reach a point of steady monthly income.
On the surface, it sounds logical. And yet, what I often find is that even when they reach those goals, they’re not comfortable stepping away from work.
They’ve created a habit of always working and reach a point where they don’t know how to fully step away. At the same time, they’ve taught clients and customers that they’re always available, so it becomes harder to step away without letting clients and customers down.
Building a business that gives you time to enjoy your life doesn’t happen by chance, it takes intention. Start by getting clear on what you want your life beyond your business to look like. Then look for how you can start moving in that direction now.
For example, if you want more time with your family, you might set the boundary of being done with work by 4:00pm every weekday or making the commitment to not work on weekends.
If travel is important to you, start by planning where you’ll go and when you’ll take time off in the next six months. Planning ahead will allow you to set up your business to be ready for you to step away for a little while.
We need to make space for new ideas, solutions and possibilities to appear.
Take a moment and think about when you have your best ideas. My guess is that it isn’t while you’re working. In fact, many of us have our best ideas when we’re seemingly doing nothing at all.
When you’re constantly working, your mind is racing from one task to another. If your mind is busy with what’s right in front of you, it doesn’t have time to see new ideas or possibilities.
When you regularly take time away from your business, you give your brain a break from daily tasks and routines. You give yourself a chance to step back and see the big picture of your business. This allows you to be in a better position to see what’s going well, what needs to change (and how you can do it), and what you want to focus on for next steps.
Often, when we try to force things to work or come up with the answer to a problem, we end up feeling more frustrated. The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or simply stuck in your business, make an intentional choice to take a little break.
Go outside, read a book, work on a craft project, play with your kids, or go out for coffee with a friend. It doesn’t matter what you do, the key is to step away from the struggle and make time for something that re-energizes you. When you do, it’s likely that you’ll see your challenge (and perhaps even a solution) in a whole new light.
When you renew your spirit, this energy supports everything you do.
As human beings, we aren’t made to work all of the time. We need rest, we need time to relax and recharge.
If you work constantly or are stressed all of the time, it will catch up with you and the worst part is that it won’t just impact you. When you burnout, it impacts your business, your clients and your loved ones. Yes, you can recharge afterwards and pick up the pieces, but why not intentionally build your business so that you never reach the point of burnout?
Start by regularly making time in your schedule for things that renew your spirit. What do you love to do? What do you wish you had more time for? Start with these ideas.
Even if you feel you can only take 30 minutes a day or a few hours each week, it’s a start. When you make time for what you love, you’ll renew your spirit and have more energy. Even better, that energy will carry over into everything you do.
Think about how this positive energy can impact how you show up and act in your business when taking time away.
Not only will it be easier for you to show up each day and do what you need to do. Everything from your content creation to discovery calls to client work will be nurtured.
Taking time away has many benefits, and perhaps the best part is that it all begins with a choice. You can choose to stop working by a certain time each day. You can choose to take time off, so that it supports you in creating and enjoying a life you absolutely love.
And if you’d love to take some time off, but just can’t see how to make that work, let’s talk. I love helping business owners create systems that help them free up more time and energy to fully enjoy life.
Even better, I have an amazing team who can seamlessly take daily tasks off of your plate. Sign up for your free Business Lifeline Call right here.
