Last year was one of the first times in my business where I intentionally took an entire week off from work.
Wait, entrepreneurs can do that?!
You bet we can. Taking that first true break for my business started a fire in my soul and began a trend for me throughout the rest of this year, especially when it comes to the holidays.
Last month I took the full week off for Thanksgiving and it felt incredible. With Christmas right around the corner, I’ll be taking another week off to spend with family and re-charge, and I wanted to share with you the steps that I’ll be taking so that you can plan ahead for some quality time off, too!
Planning to Outsource My Editing
Lyndon and I will be photographing two weddings at the end of December, and I fully intend to outsource both of them to my editor so that I can continue enjoying the holiday season with our families!
Giving Myself Deadlines
I know that starting Dec. 20, I will officially be “off the clock” (other than those two weddings) until the second week of January. By giving myself a deadline, I know the date that I absolutely need to have all of my important tasks done by.
Some of those tasks look like:
- Writing & scheduling blog posts
- Scheduling Pins
- Planning captions for Instagram
- Prepping resources for you to have in the new year
Placing Boundaries to Protect My Time
The most important of these? Setting up an automatic response for my emails. I always make sure I do this when I’m about to take a break!
You can also give your clients a bit of a heads up, simply by including a line in your signature at the bottom of your emails. “Just a heads up, I’ll be away from Dec. 20 – Jan. 7 and not as responsive to emails! Happy holidays!” That way, they know what to expect ahead of time.
And, I always always always make sure that the time is blocked off on my calendar, leaving no room for trying to squeeze anything in last-minute. The more I’ve done this, the easier it’s become to stick to my boundaries. And it feels real good.
By doing these few things, I’m setting myself up for an enjoyable break because I can truly unplug and soak in every moment! I fully intend to read more books, do some reflecting, and spend time with those I love.
What are you looking forward to doing during your time off?
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