A Vacation for the Entrepreneur

When I was in corporate America, it was so easy to take a vacation – I was getting paid for it! As an entrepreneur, I find months slip away and I’m still going full speed ahead. “Who’s got time for a vacation?” is a phrase I hear often from my clients and friends. What is this costing us?…We may become grumpy or perhaps we get writers block and the creative juice aren’t flowing. Or worse yet, we start suffering from the entrepreneur’s worst nightmare — fatigue (five cups of coffee later and you still can’t get in gear.) It is time to give yourself a break. For those of you who have great discipline and balance, you can stop reading now. You have probably already mastered this area. For those of you who rarely take time for yourself, let alone a vacation from the business, take good notes.

Why is this important? Because as an entrepreneur our most important and valuable skill is our creativity. And creativity flourishes when we are rested. Have you ever noticed that our best ideas come at times like when we are sleeping or in the shower? Maybe you are like me and they drop in when you are driving? Well, to tap into that cherished creativity more often, we need to have downtime. Let me introduce the idea of the “entrepreneur’s vacation.” You may not have the time or inclination to go to Yosemite or Las Vegas, so here are 10 ways to give yourself a “mini-vacation” without losing momentum from your business. (And all ten are doable no matter what you say about your schedule.)

1. Read a good book. No not another marketing or leadership book. Be really audacious – read a fiction book. Recently, I’ve been into Ken Follet. Maybe you are more of a Harry Potter fan. Or be real decadent and just read a trashy novel. Anything that will let your imagination run free and the creativity flow.

2. Hang out in a coffee shop. You’ll meet the most interesting people (especially in L.A.) I’ve run into Dr. Phil, Robert Downey Jr., and many others. Coffee shops are great for people watching. You can’t throw a wet noodle without hitting a Starbucks around here so I prefer the “local” places (like Aroma Café in Sherman Oaks.)

3. Go for a drive. Pick a place you haven’t been before. I’ll often jump in the car and drive down to the beach just to get my head clear.

4. Have lunch with a friend. You know, at one of those fancy, chi-chi restaurants with the great view. I highly recommend Shutters in Santa Monica if you are in the neighborhood.

5. Go to a mid-day matinee. Be really adventurous and make it a 2:00 showing. Plus it’s a great way to escape the summer heat waves.

6. Enjoy a hobby. Golf, tennis, knitting, painting, gardening, whatever it is, give yourself some time to have fun with it. Internet surfing and chat rooms don’t count! (But planting a few house plants does!)

7. Play games with friends. Two of our family favorites are Guesstures and Balderdash. Games are an amazing way to let off steam. The idea is to laugh like a kid again.

8. Get some culture. Most towns have outdoor concerts for the summer that are free. Visit a museum. The Getty in West Los Angeles is a good one. Be a tourist in your own town.

9. Spend the afternoon with a child. If you don’t have any of your own, borrow one from a friend. Do something you would never do unless you were with a five year old! Make a fort in the living room couch or play hair salon. My 7 year old niece loves to make me look silly with weird ponytails and clips. Remember how fun that was?

10. Treat yourself to a spa day. My personal favorite – massage. It is something that is good for EVERYONE! If you are really looking to decompress, head out to a spa weekend. A few of my favorites are: Palm Desert Marriott Hot Springs, The Bacara in Santa Barbara or a more reasonably priced spa is The Oaks at Ojai, California.

When my clients get stressed out, I give them an assignment to take time off. It always works like a charm! The pay off for taking breaks can be significant. Writers who suffer from writers block often say that the best thing to do is disengage for a while and do something else.

When you notice you are reading the same sentence over and over again or when you sit staring at the computer for over 15 minutes, trying to remember what you were just working on, it’s time to take a break! Have fun with it and just enjoy yourself for a few hours. I promise, nothing horrible will happen and you will be much more creative when you return.

So here’s an opportunity for you to integrate more time to tap into your creativity. Plan to do at least one of these 10 recommendations within the next week. Watch what happens. Realize how your energy is rejuvenated. Observe how much more productive you become when you take time for fun. Open your mind to the flow of creativity and new ideas. Pretty soon you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how nice an “entrepreneurs vacation” can be.