5 reasons to take a holiday right now | Zac de Silva (Xero Blog)
How many hours are you putting into your business weekly? 40? 50? 60? 70-hour weeks? Sometimes even 80-hour weeks don’t feel like they’re enough to tackle the enormous to-do list you’re facing.
There’s a quote that says, “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t”. Put simply, put the hard yards in now and reap the rewards later.
Here’s something I tell my 100+ business coaching clients that may surprise you. “Take a holiday”.
You’re probably thinking the same thing they do. “What? But I’m busy enough as it is – things will fall over if I go away! How will I get stuff done?!”
I’m not saying you need to go during your busiest period, or that it needs to be six months in France. But trust me when I tell you that a few days away from the business will actually improve it.
Here’s 5 reasons to take a holiday right now
- You get the space to think. It’s very easy to get caught up in your everyday tasks when you’re at the office. Your brain is only focussed on what needs to be done. But the important thinking – the pie-in-the-sky, big picture thinking that will improve your business – needs a bit of head room. Plonk yourself next to a pool, turn your phone off and let the thinking begin. Where do you want your business to be in 5 years? 10? How are you going to get it there? What steps and direction do you need to take?
- You get time to read. Pack those books that have been gathering dust on your bedside table. Finally read those business blogs you’ve been dying to read. Try Sam Hazledine’s Unfair Fight or Richard Branson’s Losing My Virginity. Be inspired by the stories of other people’s success.
- You get some perspective. What’s your biggest problem in business right now? Are your overheads skyrocketing? Your team morale is low? Your latest product has been a bit of a flop? Sometimes in business you need to get out of the forest to see the trees. On a holiday you can remove yourself from the situation and give yourself some time to mull. You may just find the root cause of your business troubles. The answers will come.
- Holiday mode makes you creative. Escape from routine, new sights, smells, experiences, and culture can all instigate change. It boils up to a new perspective, which brings new ideas and creative solutions and innovations.
- It recharges your batteries. Most people can’t sustain 60 to 80-hour work weeks for long. Yes, the body will keep going, but you won’t be operating at the top of your game. Plus, you need to be refreshed on your return from holiday in order to implement all the amazing business ideas you’ve had!
