#SmallBiz Resolution for 2014 - Vacationing (not working) from a Beach

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Katie Hellmuth's picture
All #SmallBizDiary Entries by Katie Hellmuth
The views of this member do not reflect those of Tin Shingle.

When I hung my first shingle and struck out on my own as a website designer, I sat in the office of my day job and vowed to be able to go on many vacations and drive to Ohio with my then future husband to visit our families whenever we wanted. I didn't want to be restricted to a 2-week vacation.

Fast forward 10 years, and I have hung 3 shingles, Tin Shingle being the third one, and I do take quite a few drives to visit family. Just this summer, I took 10 road trips to account for 1 vacation to Maine and 2 weddings in Chicago (those involved stops both ways in Ohio to stay with family). This would have been impossible with a traditional 9-5 job.

What I did for the first time this year was to unplug on my vacation to Maine, and make it a real vacation, instead of working outside on the porch from 9am-12pm while staring at the most beautiful ocean I've ever seen. What I didn't consider when I was striking out on my own, was that the buck stops with me. Responsibility-wise, that's fine. But the buck actually stopped coming in when I wasn't working. And that's no fun! So I really never took vacations.

There's a lot of talk from different brands that sounds like this: "Look at me! I'm working from the beach!" And for a minute, that's appealing. And I've worked from the beach too. Poolside even. The parking lot of Panera at midnight just to hop onto Panera's wireless when my in-laws wireless went out.

And actually, I prefer lying on a beach. Just lying there. Soaking up the sun. Feeling warm. Taking in a lot of rays Vitamin E, and not wireless rays.

I love working. I love my job as an entrepreneur because I created it with people I get inspired by. But I also love relaxing and dreaming.

So one of my resolutions for 2014 is to maintain the system we have in place so that I can go to a beach and vacation from there, not work from there.

Vacation on a beach

Comments

I completely believe that we cannot do what we do without totally unplugging now and then. Though working from a relaxing location is appealing, it's not completely relaxing if you are still tethered in one way or another. Sometimes we forget we are humans and need down time because we are constantly doing and growing and producing.

It's so important as business owners to have systems in place so we can take that time when we need it. Delegation is important but so is letting go. Difficult but necessary.

I can't wait to see this resolution come to fruition for you this year! I may borrow it myself. ;)

xoxo

My goal for 2014 (perhaps Feb 2015) is to take the boys to Australia for a month. A month!! My husband is Australian and Hudson was born there but we haven't taken Henry there yet. It will take a lot of planning but we are going to make it happen. Step one - frequent flyer mile credit cards!

Although I do plan to work on my "Aussie granola operations" while there...but that is another dream.....

Good luck making your dream come true!

Hope