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The Business Owners Guide to Taking a Break

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got a million things on at the moment. You’re probably preparing for 2013, going to all those festive season social and business events whilst trying to tidy up 2012 – all of which make you even busier than usual. 

So, really who has time for Christmas this year?  Can’t we put that off for another couple of months?

As fellow business owners, aren’t we all too busy to take a break?

I love my work and I love the SOI business – just like many small business owners do. But if I keep up the speed that I’ve been travelling at most of the year without taking the break that’s more or less forced on many of us by the festive season – I WILL burn-out – as will you.

And if you burn-out, you might lose your passion for your business. Needless to say, that wouldn’t be a good thing – not for you, not for your staff or for your clients – who need you on your game when regular play resumes in 2013. No doubt, you’ve big plans for next year. 

There’s something about growing a business you love that makes you think you can burn the candles at both ends without any consequences. And we all know, that’s a furphy. 

It doesn’t matter how passionate we all are about our various businesses, too many hours, too many days, too many weeks in a row inevitably lead to a sinking feeling of dread in the mornings when yet another day of work rolls around. And that really wasn’t part of the dream of owning a business.

So if there’s any chance at all that you can take a break this holiday season, grab it with both hands. It will be okay – really it will. If you need permission – don’t ask, you have mine.

And so to some homework – yes, homework. Go on – open your diary (or your phone/PDA/iPad or whatever) yes, right now. Now cross out at least a full week from your diary. And this year, Christmas is so well situated for taking a break. Maybe you could even take from 5pm on December 21 until January 2. 11 whole days. Imagine how refreshed you’d feel after that sort of a break?! You might even be itching to get back into it – yes, really.

BUT – now here are the rules…

Make no plans except those that involve catching up with friends and family, spending time by the sea or your pool, in the mountains, fishing, curl up with your favourite author and/or indulge in some good food and wine or whatever you used to love to do ASIDE from work. You get the gist. Do no work for a whole week. The world will not end, I promise you.

Now that’s more like what you were thinking when you originally went into business.

Enjoy basking in the thought that a real break is coming. I’d like to wish you a wonderful Christmas and all the best for a great 2013.

If you’d like to start 2013 with some of your dreaded admin taken off your hands so you can focus on getting stuck into driving your business forward, we’d be delighted to assist. You can call us on 02 9994 8000 or join us on LinkedIn.

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Article by Buck Samrai

December 18, 2012