Why do the words vacation or downtime often seem to equate to ‘goofing off time’ in the craniums of entrepreneurs? Are we not entitled to time off like everyone else?  When I am coaching my clients and I bring up the subject of taking a vacation the looks on their faces often range from hysterics to terrified.  You would think that I had just asked them to parade naked through the town square! I don’t know for sure but I think we are sometimes our own worst enemy.

As a business owner, I know it is next to impossible to fathom taking downtime unless one consciously works it into their schedule and plans for it.  My clients start their yearly planning by deciding how much of it they are taking and then we work backwards. That’s right, we do not plan their year first and then see what is left over for time off, time off is the start of the plan! The funny thing is those who have embraced this concept have repeatedly told me that it has changed their lives.

So how do you factor in downtime and still keep the lights on and business running so you have one to come back to? My friends, it takes planning and a strategy.

Here are five steps I have incorporated into my planning this year to give me the much needed time to say YES and recharge the batteries. I will also share with you three benefits I believe taking this downtime has for both you and your team.

Map your year out at a glance

All too often entrepreneurs get into the weeds and forget to raise their heads to look at the big picture. A trick that works well for me is to put a year at a glance calendar right above my desk.  On it I map out all of my vacation and downtime, and everything else that will take my time away from focusing on my business. This exercise is a real eye opener because out of 365 days a year there are far less ‘revenue generating’ days than one might think.

Plan your time away

If your business requires you stay somewhat connected then decide what days you are going to work and stick to them the way you would your office hours (you do have office hours, don’t you?) 

Use technology to your advantage

Put out of office notifications on your phone/email and inform people how and most importantly when they can expect to hear from you. Here are some suggestions: if you are a one person shop let them know when you will be able to get back to them and unless you are in a life and death business don’t make the turnaround time 24 hours. If you have a team member you can delegate to then leave their contact information on your phone/email or better yet forward your phone directly to them, let them field the calls and decide if you need to be contacted.

Stockpile before you leave

Plan your year out ahead and decide where you can implement strategies that will allow you to stock up for the time you are away.  An example of this would be if you publish videos or do a podcast. Get as many in the can as you can and do them as a season. Get an app that will allow you to pre-populate them to go out on your social media while you are away.

Make time to disconnect

As hard as it might be, for some it seems harder than others, put down the phone and walk away for awhile.  Your brain and your family will thank you but best of all you’ll thank yourself!  Unless someone has it on greater authority, I do not believe anyone has perished to date because they were not attached to an electronic device for a prolonged period of time.

I also promised you some reasons why I believe all of this good for you and your team. Here are just three of them, but I know there are so many more!

Your brain needs some extended downtime too

According to the experts, “downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life.”

Taking time off is possibly the greatest gift as an entrepreneur that you can give yourself and your business. In order to run effectively on all cylinders, the brain needs sufficient downtime.

Don’t be a helicopter employer

Believe it or not stepping out of the picture for some downtime when you have the right team in place really can happen. When you have picked the right people and empowered them to take responsibility for their respective roles your being out of the picture is actually good for them. Allowing them to take ownership and run things in your absence does great things for an employee’s self esteem and confidence on the job.

As the leader you set the tone

Constantly griping that you cannot take time off because you are too busy, there is too much to do, etc., sends the wrong message to your team members.  You need to be the one to set the example that proper time management, delegation, open communication and allowing one to own their role can lead to a harmonious work environment that still hums along when a key player steps away for a well needed and deserved break.

I trust this will have helped you to realize and more importantly trust that you too can take some critically required downtime away from your daily business and the sky will not fall in. Does it require a plan and a strategy? You bet it does!

I would love to hear some of the strategies you have put in place to keep your business running at full capacity when you take downtime.  Please feel free to share in the comments section below.

Cheers!