I was chatting with my accountability partner on Monday. We were both coming off a week where we got little done. And neither of us felt particularly guilty or frustrated.
As Helene said, “We Canadians have such a short time with good weather we need to take advantage of it.”
It’s not just Canadians. All small business owners need to give themselves permission to have some down time. I know I tend to be a bit of a work-a-holic. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ve seen me write about going two or three days without even leaving the house!
Even when I leave my home office I don’t always stop working. I have a habit of taking my laptop with me when I want to watch the Jays game or a movie and checking email, reading other people’s blogs or catching up with social media.
Now I’m all for multitasking. I do it all the time. But there comes a time when each of us needs to turn off for a while. It’s not healthy to be perpetually working. We all need time to recharge, refresh and actually enjoy the life we’re working so hard to support.
And it’s not just getting out of the office. You really need to turn off – turn off the computer, turn off the crackberry, turn off the cell phone. You’re not really getting away from work if you’re still checking your email, sending tweets or just making one more edit to that article.
Last week I was at the cottage and I didn’t even have cell phone reception. I had to walk 30 minutes (uphill) to get spotty reception. I lost my sister twice in a three minute call. Rather than stressing about the lack of access, I gave myself permission to enjoy the down time. I put away the laptop and turned off the cell phone. I actually enjoyed my family. I read entire novels without forgetting who the main characters were. I didn’t even crack the spines of the business books I’d dragged along. It was a true vacation.
The net result? I am refreshed, recharged and ready to work. I’m more focused and more excited about my work then I’ve been in a long time. I’m getting more done in less time.
You don’t need an entire week to turn off. Try a mini vacation. Give yourself permission to take an entire evening off and just enjoy your life. Finished your “to-do list” for today by 3 pm? Don’t fiddle around at the computer with busy work until 5 pm. Pat yourself on the back for your productivity and take off early. It’s one of the perks we all tout about being an entrepreneur, but when was the last time you actually did it?
If you haven’t taken a vacation yet this summer, I challenge you to carve some space out for yourself between now and Labour Day.
Andrea J. Stenberg
Are you one of those perpetually working entrepreneurs? Please leave a comment and tell us how your spouse caught you checking email at 3 am in the bathroom or whatever crazy thing you’ve been known to do. Or better yet, share your tips on how to get away from work, even if it’s only for a few hours.
