Are You Making Time in Your Business to Take Time for You?
We all choose entrepreneurship for different reasons but with similar goals. The most common goal we have is to be the boss of our own schedule and to have flexibility with our time. This is neither simple nor easy unless you prioritize planning, strategy, and execution of necessary actions. Are you making time in your business to make time for you?
Work/life rhythms are such a huge issue for entrepreneurs, especially women. The impacts of the pandemic have complicated things. If you’ve transitioned to remote work, your office and your home are probably the same place, which means you never fully leave one for the other. Lots of people have left corporate to work for themselves, with no one else to establish boundaries around time and scheduling.
Are you intentional with how you schedule your time?
If your schedule feels out of control, it’s because you’re not taking control. Structure brings freedom, and structure plus planning help prevent chaos and burnout. This is why I request that my clients schedule time for a CEO Hour every week and quarterly CEO Power Planning sessions. Intentional scheduling is a big part of both of these habits.
As an entrepreneur, being intentional and having a strategy in place to run my own business has given me the gift of having the type of holidays I always wanted.
I personally have always loved and looked forward to the Christmas holidays. I come from a big Italian family that spends a lot of time together during this season. Even when I lived a plane flight away, I always managed to get home and make the time for these traditions.
Then I found myself working in corporate, having to work the next day after major holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. My supervisor would try to convince me that expecting me to work was a good thing. They would tell me that "all the higher-ups are taking off and you're the only one we can trust to be here and make sure things go smoothly."
That “trust” never translated into a salary increase for competency or reliability. It was a manipulative and underhanded compliment so someone else could get the time off they wanted.
As you can imagine, I hated getting up and going to work on those days, knowing my family was together, and I couldn’t be cozied up at home in my jammies, sipping hot chocolate by the fire. But I’m thankful - those days showed me the value of being with those I love most at the times I wanted to be there. It made my personal priorities crystal clear.
For the past 20 years, I have worked for myself and taken off those holiday times when my kids are home, family is around, and I can be on my couch enjoying a cup of hot soup and a good book in front of the lights on my Christmas tree. I have been there every year to watch my kids grow up, enjoying those magical times.
I will soon be closing up shop and taking off for two weeks. I did not need anyone’s permission to do so. This year looks a little different in the Lawson household. Our youngest started college in September, and our oldest just moved out of state. But it hasn’t decreased my desire to be present. If anything, my desire has increased - I want to be available when they are, which isn’t as frequent as it was years ago.
Are You Ready To Enjoy Time Off Without Stress?
Because I work for myself, I get to design the life I want. I intentionally scheduled this time off, and by using processes, systems, and planning, I will get everything done I need to and enjoy my time with family. I will not have to worry about work while I am enjoying the season.
And this is why I help other entrepreneurs design the business they want. Almost every client I work with needs help setting boundaries and structure around their time. I show them how to understand and leverage the concept that structure allows for freedom. Once they can accept this, their businesses can grow, and they can take more time off.
FAQ: Taking Time to Make Time For You
Q: When is the best time to mark time off on your calendar?
Ideally, marking off for the next year in the prior December. If you miss that mark, I suggest you try to mark your calendar a few months ahead of the time you want to take off.
Q: What’s the best way to maintain accountability for honoring time off?
I recommend you take one hour a week, a CEO Hour, to keep track of tasks, goals, and deadlines to make adjustments to your plan and stay on track.
Q: How do I tell my clients I’m taking off chunks of time?
You simply let them know ahead of time. Remember, you’re in control:)
If you’d like to take time off to enjoy your friends and family around the holidays, or you’d like to feel relaxed and confident about any other time you’d like to take off, schedule a call with me to see how we can make it happen.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Sign up for our next CEO Power Planning Sessionand spend two and a half hours ON your business. During this facilitated workshop, you’ll set and prioritize your next 12-week goals, break them down into an executable action plan and create a resource plan - Join the Wait List
Join the CEO Hour Course and stay on track to achieve your most important goals.
This course is designed for busy entrepreneurs who are tired of flying by the seat of their leggings. If you’re juggling a thousand to-dos and still ending the week wondering what got done, this system is for you. Block out a little time each week and you’ll reclaim your focus, your calendar, and your calm. Enjoy lifetime access to the course + my downloadable tools. Join now!