Learning to take time off is important for even the busiest entrepreneurs.
You've probably said it to yourself multiple times over the past few months, or maybe even years: "I need to take a vacation." You're an entrepreneur, and because you're passionate about your business, excited to see it grow, and overburdened with tasks and responsibilities, you've found it almost impossible to take time away from the office. You're working 80 hour weeks (or more), trudging through nights and weekends, and you're doing so somewhat happily because it's on your terms, but the long-term effects of that overworking is going to catch up with you.
You need to take breaks, no matter how energized or focused you feel. Working too hard for too long is going to make you burn out, and could even carry long-term health consequences. You've undoubtedly realized this, but still, you put it off because of how difficult or impossible it seems at the moment.
Here's how to take a vacation as an overworked entrepreneur:
Delegate Effectively
You have to learn to trust your team. Delegate what you can to who you can, and know who's most capable of handling them. Know the strengths, weaknesses, and workloads of your team, and work with them individually to delegate any tasks or responsibilities that will need to be taken care of while you're away. If you don't have team members you can trust, you have bigger problems than vacation on your plate.
Know What You Can Shelve
Don't be afraid to shelve some of your work--not everything needs done yesterday. For example, you might have made new product development a major priority, but is it necessary to keep your business running for a week while you're out of town?
Disconnect Completely
It doesn't count as a vacation if you're still responding to emails, making phone calls, and doing work. It's okay to make yourself available for an absolute emergency, but otherwise, you have to disconnect completely. This is your time to decompress, so don't interrupt it.
Start Small
You don't have to start out with a two-week vacation. Ease into taking time off by taking them in small chunks. Take a half day on Friday, and disconnect completely when you do so. In a couple of weeks, take a full day, and then two. In a couple of months, you'll be comfortable taking those longer vacations, and your team will be ready for it as well.
Don't be afraid to take vacations. If you take them regularly and effectively, they'll actually improve your productivity, your outlook, and your attitude toward your position.
Bio: Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast dedicated to helping startup technology companies get the direction and momentum they need to succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has established a collective resource for tech entrepreneurs to consult when brainstorming, creating, launching, or expanding a new business. Jose is also the founder and CEO of Quez Media Marketing, a marketing firm that combines technology and creativity to help new and growing companies get the results they need.
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