By Joanna Martin

I don’t know about you guys, but when us ladies are enjoying a good chat with our hairdresser, the one subject that always seems to come up is holidays… whether you’ve taken a holiday recently or which trips you have planned?

Beach HolidayAm I right ladies?

Now as business owners, both sexes can feel reluctant to take regular holidays… especially in the beginning where you often believe you’re too busy to take a break or your cash flow situation just won’t allow for ‘treats’.

But have you ever considered that the holiday you perceive as a luxury indulgence could actually be one of the best investments you could ever make in your business?

Let me explain why…

You see, when you are very busy working in your business, you can become so bogged down with details and concerns about making sure you deliver everything your clients are expecting of you, that your own wellbeing and business goals actually become… well, a little bit lost!

But, in order to grow your business, you need to invest ‘thinking time’… as well as ‘doing time’.

You must make regular time to take a large step back… clear your mind of the day-to-day details and figure out whether you are still on the right path towards your ultimate lifestyle business… and to inspire growth.

African HolidayOften you’ll find that the further you step away, the more creative you can become in your vision… all sorts of wonderful ideas and plans suddenly pop into your head from nowhere!

This is the amazing universe at play again… if you’re too busy ‘doing’ you’re not receptive to the opportunities the universe presents… but once you clear your mind, you free up space to allow yourself to receive these gifts.

Greg and I regularly take time away where we can brainstorm ideas with no outside interruptions… we schedule small chunks of time every week and plan regular, longer periods where we can reconnect with our business goals.

No phones ringing… no email… just Greg and I focusing on our lifestyle plan… it’s great!

Today I invite you to look at your schedule for the rest of this year and block out regular time that you will spend entirely on planning and thinking.

Perhaps…

Daily…?
An hour per day for 3 or 4 days of the week… don’t forget your lifestyle dates too… time where you go off alone and do something you enjoy as that will help you get clarity.

Monthly…?
An overnight stay or weekend trip with your partner once per month… quality time spent together where you forget about the day-to-day business for a couple of days and enjoy each other’s company.

Twice a year…?
A week or fortnight break with the family… if you can take a week or fortnight out of the business, this is when you will see the biggest opportunities as you will be granting them space to flow into your mind.

The longer, the better!
Man with Private JetIt can often take several days to completely unwind and forget about work distractions so try to include at least one longer break for you to truly feel distanced from your business.

Believe it or not… the clarity you can achieve in your thinking time away from the business can often save many hours of working in the business.

When you can recognise that taking time off is an essential expense for you as a business owner, it will be much easier to make the decision to invest in that trip you’d love to take… go ahead, your business deserves it.

Do you plan regular time away from your business? Have you noticed your best ideas come when you’re not so busy working in your business that you are better able to spot the opportunities presented by the universe?
Please leave me a comment and share your story.