As a small business owner wearing multiple hats you might not be able to vacation like when you were employed. I remember years ago when my friends used to complain about me bringing my laptop and taking calls while I was on vacation. As I am venturing into what looks like a construction business right now, this past week reminded me of those times and gave me a greater appreciation for the past few years when I didn’t have to do that.
I now know from experience that it’s things like this that cause many business owners too much stress, bad relationships, bad health and more. So now, the coach needs to coach himself. How can I dive into this new endeavor without falling back into those old habits?
I haven’t put a lot of thought into it yet but the first things that come to mind are time management, setting client expectations and adjusting my numbers accordingly. What will that look like?
In short, it means scheduling work accordingly, being willing to tell clients that my personal and family time are important to me and budgeting to accommodate all of this. By the next vacation, I will make sure that no work is taking place while I am gone, set my voicemail and emails to let people know that I’m on vacation and budgeting knowing that I don’t work 52 weeks a year.
If you are in business and are reading this and think that this can’t be done, well, let’s talk. If you keep working yourself to death, well you might do just that.
If you remember back from any mentions of time management I stressed an order in which to plan. First is personal time, you have to take care of yourself first in order to be in the right mind and body to take care of everything else. Second is relationships. Family and friends are more important than work! Third is working on your success plan. If you don’t know where you’re going, you will inevitably end up like the hamster in the hamster wheel. Last on the list is work. This of course is normally first on everyone’s list. And unfortunately, most people discover that no matter what they do, no matter how much work you do, there is just more work. Don’t lose everything else while you’re running in the wheel.
Work on it, create new habits, find someone to help you. Whatever you have to do, do it!