142: 3 Reasons to Take Your Design Business on Vacation
142: 3 Reasons to Take Your Design Business on Vacation
with Michele Williams
So, I did a thing. I took my business on vacation. We had such a wonderful time together. Just me and Scarlet Thread Consulting. I had been thinking of this and wanting to do this trip for a while, but the timing was not working. On this podcast, I am going to share the 3 benefits of taking your company on a vacation.
Topics Mentioned:
Rest
Reflection
Reset
Listen to the Episode
For the last year and a half, I have been dreaming of going on a quiet vacation with my business. Not just a business planning session like we talked about in the year end podcasts, but a vacation to just focus on my business. I decided that this spring was just the time. There was some prep that needed to be done to make the trip amazing. Let’s start there.
To prepare for my vacation, I first made time on my calendar. For me, I chose to arrive on a Saturday and to return home on Wednesday. Next time, I think I will make it a full week. Once the dates were established, I thought about what I wanted to do and accomplish and what the perfect setting would be. For me, it was nature, water, quiet. So, I stayed at a lake house about an hour from my home. This lake house had access to the water with a dock that had chairs and a place to isolate a bit from the hurriedness. Since it is not yet summer, the lake was really quiet. I chose a place with a big wrap around porch that also allowed me to just sit outside and think, be still, and enjoy.
My husband and I talked about this vacation. He asked me if I wanted him to come along. Gently, I said no. Not because he is difficult, far from it. But for me, I wanted to have no schedule, no guilt about what I was or was not doing, no divided attention. And I know myself. If he and I were together, I would want to be with him, focus on him, do activities with and for him. Knowing this about myself, I made him a promise. You don’t come on my business vacation, and I won’t bring the business on our family vacation this summer. You will get my full attention. This agreement was embraced by us both.
To further prepare, I made note of what I thought I would like to come back with, which business books had been on my list to read, what I wanted to think about. I packed up all of my tech devices, books, ReMarkable writing tablet. I packed my yoga mat, bands and some small items to workout. I only packed athleisure wear and a ball cap.
When I reached the lake house, I unpacked and went to the grocery store. While there I thought of each day and what would be simple, healthy meals that I wanted to eat. I purchased enough for the days I would be there plus snacks.
Each morning I woke to the birds singing. And it felt like a personal symphony. During the day, their song would change, and it was fun to hear the differences. I watched squirrels play in the leaves chasing each other up and down the trees. Saw a hawk swooping down to look for a snack. The most beautiful cardinal visited each day along with some beautiful birds that were brightly colored blue and purple. There were moments of sunshine, cool breezes and light rain. Sitting in nature, with a view of water, just gives my body, soul and spirit a rest.
My biggest goal on my trip was to have some time to think, process and dream. While I took a list of things I wanted to accomplish, I gave myself permission to come home with none of it done if that was what was best for me while on my trip. This freedom, to be and do as I needed, opened me up to not have the tight schedule that I tend to have from day to day. I did not create a structure to my days – I let them flow. No alarm woke me up, and no predetermined time sent me to bed. If I wanted to switch between a business book and a fiction book, I did. One day I was reading in the sun and could not hold my eyes open, so I came back inside and took a nap in the middle of the afternoon. In general, I found that I was about an hour off from what I normally run, getting up an hour later and going to bed an hour later – naturally.
As if all of this that I have mentioned was not enough benefit, here are 3 additional benefits of going on vacation with my business.
Benefit 1: I rededicated myself to the business I am building and the clients I am serving.
The hard questions were asked and answered while there. Am I happy, am I fulfilled, what do I need for me going forward from my business, and what do I need to give to others? What does my business need from me? Does my business in its current form meet all of these needs? What needs to be changed, added or deleted?
These questions were important for me to address separate from building my strategic plan. While I did that work towards the end of last year and beginning of this one, this vacation allowed the time for me to consider how my plan was actually working. Am I still dedicated to the pursuit that I thought I was? Am I willing to do what is necessary to attain what I think I want? If so, keep going. If not, pivot.
At the end of my trip, I returned knowing that I was solving the problem of scaling with ease while creating a profitable and sustainable business. This is what I do. This is what my ideal clients call me for.
Benefit 2: I found margin for rest in my business.
Business can be busy. And sometimes, unchecked, my calendar can fill up quickly and my to do list explode. In the middle of these planned tasks and activities, the days and weeks get away from me and some of my most important items can easily slip by the wayside. Taking a dedicated time to reset helped me gain more clarity on how I wanted to create margin or space in my calendar. I must do this reset every year or so in some way. I create margin and it quickly gets eaten up by something else. And even though rationally I would tell you that success is not attained by being busy – sometimes my actions indicate the opposite. I have to do a check and remember that we need rest. Rest for our heart, soul, mind, and body. These 5 days gave me that. A slower pace, without checking out. Getting things done without hurry but with purpose.
I am now looking at my calendar differently again to build in even more margin. Even more rest. Even more time to think. Because, I have found, when I take the time to really think and to ponder, my decision making is clearer and easier in the long run.
Benefit 3: The excitement for what I am doing increased.
I have always loved solving problems, strategizing on a new or better way, and helping people remove the obstacle in front of them. It is my thing. And as we all know, even doing what we love after a while can be taxing or heavy – or we check out. I don’t want to get to burnout as an indicator of doing too much. But in my time of reflection, it was so clear to me, that I am doing what I love to do and what I feel called to do.
With that assurance, my excitement to dig in deeper, to explore more fully what and how to assist other business owners increased. I can’t wait to teach new concepts, to meet new people, to take on new challenges. All within the time boundaries I have created, of course. But the excitement for all that can be done and accomplished is rekindled. Not that the fire for my work had gone out, but it is easy in the busy to sometimes ask ourselves what we are doing and why.
After my business vacation I know more of who I am and what I do, and who I am not and what I don’t do. I am a strategist and coach focused on helping business owners in the creative industry reclaim their time, create profitability and sustainability, and build their team with intention and ease. And I know how to do it. I have the proven results and have seen my clients succeed beyond their wildest dreams when following my approach. I am settled in this. What I have built works.
To have 5 days of being quiet, relaxed, allowing work, thoughts and dreams to flow instead of being tightly scheduled was a treat for me. Next time, I want 7-8 days. I think I could have taken a bit more. No matter, the time I had was crazy productive, gently flowing, restful and calming.
Consider taking your business on vacation. If you don’t want to go alone – take one other business friend with you – just don’t plan to do much together other than meals and maybe a late-night porch sit. Give yourself space and time. It is a gift that will keep on giving.
If you are in a space of growth in your business and want a proven method to help you move forward with intention to serve your clients and your teams fully, check out my masterclass where we focus on reclaiming your time, paying yourself more and growing your team intentionally. You can find this at www.scarletthreadconsulting.com/aim-masterclass or under the resources tab.
Being profitable in your life and business is about so much more than money – and profit, of any type, does not happen by accident.
Key Thoughts:
I wanted to have no schedule, no guilt about what I was or was not doing, no divided attention. Michele (02:59)
My biggest goal on my trip was to have some time to think, process and dream. While I took a list of things I wanted to accomplish, I gave myself permission to come home with none of it done if that was what was best for me while on my trip. Michele (05:07)
I rededicated myself to the business I am building and the clients I am serving. Michele (06:36)
Taking a dedicated time to reset helped me gain more clarity on how I wanted to create margin, or space in my calendar. Michele (08:39)
Contact Michele:
Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting
Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL
Website: ScarletThreadConsulting..com
LinkedIn: Michele Williams
References and Resources:
AIM Masterclass - Watch now