Not your boss’, not your customers’ and not your colleagues’ – it’s all down to you and that’s why you struggle to properly switch off when on holiday.
That’s why you convince yourself that it’s ok to check emails and take work calls. That’s why you convince your partner and children that you must still work otherwise you can’t go on holidays. That’s why you will miss opportunities to create memories for you and those you’re with on holiday.
I wrote this post 2yrs ago and, whilst focusing specifically on leaders, the main messages still ring true for everyone regardless of their job role!
It doesn’t matter that you’re the boss – it’s time to have some time off!
As the owner of a small business, I’m not naïve to the pressures and I am in no way professing to have found the elusive work/life balance that us working people strive to obtain. Over time, and especially as my family has grown, I’ve come to understand that I can either be that guy who has no control over my circumstances and will forever be at the mercy of external conditions OR I can take control over what I can control and stop losing sleep over what I’ll never be able to control!
With regards my sales targets, I can control balancing them across 12mths so that the pressure drops when I’m away and is compensated by over-delivering at other times. I can control understanding when my customers will be on holiday so that I’m not forecasting deals to close when they’re away.
If I work for someone and as part of a team, I can control providing my colleagues (who will cover my inbox when I’m away) with as much helpful information as possible to ensure they can still provide a high level of service to my customers whilst I’m off (reinforced by me providing the exact same level of service to my colleagues’ customers when I’m covering them – tit for tat) and I can control making sure my boss knows what they need to know for whilst I’m off.
Having flown solo for a couple of years, I recognise the challenges of being able to switch off are much more difficult! Yes, there’s an understandable logic to having to make sacrifices in the early days to hopefully reach a stage later in life where you can properly switch off. However, if you choose to take time off to relax then that is what you must do! Make sure your customers know well in advance that you’re going to be taking time off and for them not to expect you to be available. Make sure your cashflow projections support that your revenue is likely to drop when you’re off. Make sure you know when any open opportunities are going to close and, if that’s when you’re away, do everything you can to either get them closed ahead of schedule or extend the timeline for when you’re back.
In summary, you’re the only one to blame if you take time off but don’t really take time off.
