So, is a week enough? Not at all. As a business owner, you should take at minimum four weeks of vacation time. With at least a week each quarter to recoup and regroup. This enables you to:
1. Reboot Your Mind.
Taking a vacation once every three months is an excellent way to reboot and relax. As a business owner, you are always thinking of ways to grow your business and take it to the next level, and that kind of higher-level thinking can begin to wear on you if you don’t take regular breaks. I like to schedule my vacations shortly after my team completes their quarterly action plans. They all have a clear vision of where the business is going for the quarter, which will free my time up for a mental reboot before digging into my own quarter goals.
2. Rest Your Body.
Working 72 hours a week will take its toll on you physically as well. Early mornings and late nights will soon begin to catch up with you and lead to a myriad of health problems down the road. Scheduling time away every quarter will allow you the ability to reset your biological clock (and sleep in!).
3. Plan for the Future and Enjoy the Present.
Time away from the office is a great time to reflect and appreciate all that you have in your life. Being able to get away with my kids and my wife reminds me of why I work so hard and what our plans are for the future. This is difficult to do in the middle of a 72-hour workweek, when you are putting out office fires all day.
4. Give Your Staff and Business Room to Shine.
At least four times a year, let other people on your team own functional areas of responsibility in the business. The best way to show that you trust your team, systems, and culture is to regularly step away from the business for a week stretch or longer. This will help you identify areas that need improvement as well as areas where you have strategic depth.
If you are looking for the ideal balance for self-care, schedule yourself four weeks of vacation a year and watch your business grow.