What would it look like if you worked from a place of rest and not stress? Can you even imagine that? As entrepreneurs, we are used to working around the clock– answering emails, promoting our business, utilizing social strategy, preparing our product, this list could continue for hours…. And because of our commitment and multi-faceted careers, we often convince ourselves that we can NOT take a vacation, or a weekend off, or a day without our inbox. But I am doing this episode to flip that idea on it’s head. I promise your business will not crumble 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, truly rest.
BATCH YOUR CONTENT:
This is THE golden rule of time off– work ahead, work ahead, work ahead! If you work from online, plan your content out for your time away. If you are a creator, make and ship your products before you leave. Obviously this requires a little (okay, a lot) of prep work before your trip, but it completely frees up your mental space! And it is sooooo worth it. You know how it goes: you’ll log in ONLY to post a blog, but it usually spirals into an hour of email inbox, facebook posting, and inquiry respond… while your husband is dressed in his swim trunks, ready to hit the beach. Don’t do that to yourself! 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 schedule it! Use your team’s automation platform to schedule your posts in advance! The best part? Your audience won’t even know you’re gone! They are getting the same content they are accustomed to, day in and day out, and YOU get to step away from hitting “publish”. Score!
TALK OPENLY:
It lets your audience “in” on the fact that you will be gone! Not only does it allow them to celebrate with you, but they will know just how excited you are for this getaway and know that your responses may be delayed. What an awesome combo- they are in the loop and respecting your space! *Happy dance* 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 frees up your mental space, feeling like you don’t need to explain to everyone why you are not at your desk!
GO TEAM GO
Give your team the authority to make decisions while you are away! This is huge! You need to hire the right people, give them the tools to do their job, and then let them practice with autonomy! Remember that any decision is better than no decision, and that they are doing their absolute best for your business. Throw away the lie that you are the only one who can do your job- plan ahead, give them clear expectations, and then let them fly!
Rest Takes Work
Sometimes you have to work at rest, just as much as… well, work. Rest is really hard for me, and for many years I told myself I simply was not capable… but wowza, was I wrong. I just wasn’t working hard at it, prioritizing it enough, or allowing myself to believe it was possible. Ever since allowing myself to disconnect and trusting that my business absolutely will not fail from a weekend off, I have freed up the mental space that was once dedicated to stress and worry. 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 “Stressed work is never your best work”? I sure hope so! Because this is an area of entrepreneurship that is often overlooked and one that I am so passionate about! Guys, 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 mental space, your relationships. It’s time to stop working (for a second!), and start living. You with me? Good.
