Taking a break | Even a small business owner needs time for a holiday
Last week, I shared with you a kitchen reveal from a project that we completed last year. It was so great to re-connect with my clients and actually see them in person. When we were talking about this past winter and spring, and living with covid, I found myself teary-eyed. It's not often I get teary-eyed and when I find myself doing so, I know I should be taking a break. I also find myself coming back to this scene and the famous line in this movie:
I will warn you right now, this blog really has nothing to do with renovations. It does have something to do with running your own business, being the boss, and taking care of ourselves.
Taking a Break
If you know me, you know the Mister and I typically travel during the winter months. We will often take two or three weeks to get out of our winter, travel somewhere hot (usually Maui), and recharge our batteries. In the summer months, we enjoy golfing and travelling within Canada to experience different golf courses. Last year, there was no winter travel. This past winter there was no winter travel. For the past two years, there has been no winter break. With no holidays booked, that meant no time off to recharge the batteries.
As I mentioned above, when I got teary-eyed last week I knew that I was at that point. You know, the point where if someone were to look at you the wrong way, you would burst into tears? The point when if someone said something and it rubbed you the wrong way, you might find yourself wanting to kill that person with your bare hands. The point where if someone texted you one more request you might just throw your phone out the window?
Acknowledge that taking a break is o.k.
When I'm on the verge of tears, this means I have waited too long. When I'm at the bursting into tears stage, I've gone too far. I acknowledge that, I take ownership of that, and I know that I need to be better at planning breaks.
Own It - Don't be ashamed
I do not apologize for taking holidays. I never have and I never will. What I am starting to do is owning it better. I'm not one for posting copious amounts of pictures of our holidays, but this holiday I have found myself posting a few pictures. I'm realizing that I am human for taking a break and I'm starting to own it.
Love It
There is not one holiday I regret. I have loved them all. The ones when our kids were little and we travelled Orlando, Hawaii, went camping, etc. The ones with couples where we have so many days and nights filled with laughter. And the ones where it is just the Mister and I (with our trip to Italy being at the top of my list).
Summer Break
While I would love to take the summer off, summer is one of our busiest times. We are far too busy for me to take two months off and honestly, I would go batty (it's in my genetic makeup to be busy). As I write this however, I am sitting on a patio overlooking Okanagan Lake on the Naramata Bench side in beautiful British Columbia. For those of you who do not know, British Columbia is province to the West of my home province of Alberta.
We are coming to the end of a glorious week of wine tours and golf. We had friends of our join us for most of the trip and the Mister and I are finishing off this week by ourselves. We have golfed many beautiful golf course, we have tasted many delicious wines, and I feel like my batteries are recharged.
Knowing that we most likely will not have another winter travel booked, we have booked another week in August and one more week in September to replicate this holiday to some degree. As many of you know, I am a planner so having these holidays booked in advance keeps my sanity. It allows me to work hard, give it my all, while knowing that there is a bit of a reward waiting for us. I know my clients will appreciate a fully re-charged Sheri at the helm!
Over to you peeps. Do you ever get to a point where you need to take a break and have a holiday? Do you have a breaking point?