As we head into summer it means, for a lot of us, that our kiddos are now out of school. My son just finished 1st grade and will be home with me for the next 8 weeks. As excited I am to have him home, I am also aware that I will have less available time to work.
Since I enjoy spending the Summer with him and taking off in December it meant that I needed to build a business model that let me step away work. To do that I had to implement three things to ensure I was able to step back and unplug from business.
1. Create a clear vision of where you want your business to be.
Think past the daily tasks right in front of you and look at the big picture. Doing this will give you the ability to make educated decisions about your time, how things need to happen, and about any support you may need. Right now, I’m looking into whether I need to hire an additional employee. I can look at this as an option because I know what my business really looks like and what I am trying to accomplish in the long run.
This step is critical. If you don’t see the big picture, you end up spending a lot of time figuring out your next immediate steps and over time it makes it impossible to step away.
2. Get good at scheduling and focus on getting ahead.
Get out in front of your days and weeks. For instance, I always plan a month or two in advance before I know I will disconnect from my business. I look at everything that needs to be done and I schedule it.
For example, I produce a podcast called Hit the Mic with The Stacey Harris twice a week. So when I know I’m going to be taking time off, that content needs to get done before I leave. That means batch recording content for the entire time I’m gone.
3. Focus – in detail – on your finances.
When I first started my business there was no way that I could have taken off a lot of time. I worked really hard to build a business model that has allowed me to do so over time. I created a revenue model that shifted my offerings from a 100% dollars for hours exchange. So I was able to continue to generate revenue even when I wasn’t in the office.
If you see no way of disconnecting for a large amount of time right now, start by taking a little time off. It’s smart to dedicate time to a project now, because that may be the difference maker in allowing you to take time off later.
4. Bonus Tip! Take action.
Do not just read this and then say to yourself, “Okay, that was great. I should really do that.” You need to take action! Decide when you want to take off in the next six months, whether it is an extra day during the week or the first day off you will take in a year. Then schedule it; put it on your calendar and start working on these three steps.
Learn what need to get done, make time to do it, and figure out how you will continue to create revenue while you are disconnected. Taking action is what makes this valuable. Taking action is what will allow you to unplug from your business.
This article has been edited and condensed.
The Stacey Harris is a social media strategist and trainer helping entrepreneurs build communities online. Connect with @thestaceyharris on on Twitter.
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