You’ve heard the saying, “make hay while the sun shines”, right? It means that you should work as hard as you can, for as long as you can while the money is still on offer. It makes some sense but workaholics and people who feel they have to keep pedalling hard to keep their business afloat, comfort themselves with this saying when, for the longest time, they’ve not been able to:
Let’s look at that last one. The holiday. When we know there’s a holiday on the horizon, perhaps it’s just a month or two away, we tend to initiate a bit of a countdown clock in our heads. Sometimes we simply respond with a knowing nod when someone says, “how long to go now?” Perhaps you shrug and mumble, “Aw, soon, I guess.” But you know and it’s good to know exactly how many days until your well-deserved break. It’s important to you, your business and for your family. Why?
“Hard work is its own reward.” Have you heard that one? Again, there are elements of truth but even the hardest of hard-core, hard-driving business owners recognises that there has to be more to work than more work. Recognising that you and your business have done well is just step one. Rewarding yourself with a getaway is the big one. Take the leap!
Deadlines work. When a motivated person is given a mission and a deadline, you’ll find they’ll work harder than ever to accomplish it in full and on time. Your departure date is your deadline. If you’re anything like us, you’ll have some goals in mind that need to be achieved before you take-off/ sail away/ start trekking. Take advantage and use that pre-departure, nervous energy to get everything sorted.
Work life: it’s a long season made up of many games. Sportspeople rest after every game, don’t they? Why are you trying to play a whole season of games, one after the other with no break? Keep your body healthy, your mind sharp and your motivation high by taking regular breaks and of course, the all-important, all-enjoyable getaway.
You’re too close, you need a fresh set of eyes to properly assess your numbers and formulate and understand your next steps. No one said those eyes can’t be your own. They can be, just not yet. You just need to walk away for a time and then come back for a second look after a first look at Mt Fuji or Uluru or the Caribbean, for example. Come back with some perspective and a clear head – you’ll see aspects of your business much more clearly than when you last looked.
When you leave for a short break to sip umbrella drinks, does the business disappear into a huge “you-shaped” hole? If you mean everything to your business because you are doing everything in your business, you may be in trouble or at the very least, handcuffed to your job. Time away will show you where the gaps are, where you need help and what needs to happen to redress the situation.
The chief reason you need to act now and book those flights is so that you’re locked in and committed to leaving it all behind for a short time. Most airlines have some fairly unattractive fees and charges for changing a flight or cancelling altogether when departure is quite close. Lock yourself in. Commit to spending some awesome time away with friends and/or family… but do it now.
Arrivederci!