One of the hardest things about running a small business or not-for-profit is the fact that you’re never really off. Evenings, weekends, nights, and holidays – you’re always either at work, thinking about, or creating plans to improve it.
There are a variety of reasons why it may feel like it’s impossible to get away – coming
back to an endless pile of work or an endless array of problems makes it feel like it’s not even worth it to try.
This type of thinking is short-sighted and there are at least 5 compelling reasons why you should unplug and get away:
- It Gives Your Mind and Body an Opportunity to Rest – In a 24/7/365 world, you’re “on duty” nearly every minute of the day and your ability to rest and take care of yourself can be diminished. Resting your body and mind can reinvigorate you and help you better focus on your business. If you can’t imagine how things could function for a week without you, then imagine what could happen if you had an extended illness. Take time away. Rest. Recover. You can’t perform at your best if you never stop to recharge.
- It Will Give You New Ideas – In a small business, it’s easy to fall into a rut. You spend more time working in your business than working on your business. Stepping away for a few days can give you an opportunity to think, read, relax and reflect objectively about your challenges in a less-stressed way. Remember, vacations are made for recreation, and recreation comes from the word “re-create.” A vacation is an opportunity to reinvent yourself and your approach to your business.
- It Allows You to Lead by Example – Your employees should take their vacations…and you should want them to. A well-rested and happy employee is a more productive employee. You should not try to “guilt” your staff out of taking their vacation. It’s a benefit that they earn and deserve for their hard work and dedication. Statistics show that over 66% of employees do some work during their vacation. If your employee is “too indispensable” to take their vacation, you should recognize this as an organizational weakness and a lack of cross-training of employees.
- It Allows you to Instill and Demonstrate Trust – Part of the reason that it’s so hard to take vacation is because you wonder how things will run in your absence. Taking your vacation is a great opportunity to empower your employees to make wise decisions, and it cultivates and demonstrates your trust of their skills and dedication.
- It Will Improve Your Company Culture – Employees are drawn to employers that trust and empower their people. A company that values employees enough to offer them downtime and insist that they take it, is an organization that “walks it like they talk it.” Developing an environment where employees are valued and trusted will help you recruit and retain high quality employees, which will help you attract and retain good clients.
Do you feel overwhelmed and feel like taking a vacation is an impossibility? We help business owners every day to gain control over their businesses and take back their lives. Contact us today to learn how Zinner’s team can help.
