Episode 23: Tips & Strategies to Prepare and Execute an Unplugged Vacation
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In this solo episode, Alyssa Lang is sharing how she’s currently recording this podcast episode in Tulum, Mexico and she felt it was a great chance to share how she prepares and executes for long term vacations. She dives into why you should take an unplugged vacation, the dos and don’ts and what her process looks like to prepare and execute.
In this episode you’ll hear:
Why you should be taking an unplugged vacation
Does and don’ts for when you take an extended period of time off
What my vacation preparation process is
How to implement my vacation preparation process
Resources mentioned in this episode:
💻 Breakthrough for Bookkeepers & Accountants
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Taking time off from your firm IS scary, but it’s also such a valuable experience that helps you trust your team and improve your processes like you can’t even imagine! I’ve become somewhat of a pro at taking unplugged vacations and it’s honestly just the best. And it gets easier every time I do it!
The first time I took off for a 100% unplugged leave — I was gone for 30 days. I don’t really recommend taking that much time when you’re just starting to leave your firm in the hands of your team (and it took me about 3 months to prepare), but I’ll tell you I did learn SO MUCH from that experience. For your first time, I recommend taking about a week off.
If you have a team, taking time off is inherently easier, because you have the ability to reassign tasks and create SOPs for the things they’ll need to handle while you’re away. If you don’t have a team yet, you won’t be able to fully unplug, but you can set aside specific time during your trip where you don’t check your phone or computer at all, as long as you prepare ahead of time!
In this blog, I’m sharing my strategies behind taking time off from work and creating a plan for staying present in your vacation without worrying about your firm the whole time. It’s one of my favorite topics to cover, so let’s get into it!
Why You Should Take Time Off from Your Firm
If you haven’t already, I HIGHLY recommend taking some unplugged time away from your firm and trusting your team with everything for at least a couple days. I’ve been doing this for years and it’s helped me feel even more comfortable each time.
Here’s why you need to give it a try:
Time to recharge: Vacations give you the opportunity to disconnect from work, allowing you to recharge your batteries and return to your firm with renewed energy and creativity. By giving yourself time to rest, you can prevent burnout and maintain your overall productivity.
Get creative: Stepping away from your everyday work environment gives you the opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and find inspiration. You’d be surprised how much creativity can spark when you’re removed from the day-to-day of your business!
Prepare for emergencies: You never know when you’ll have to stop everything and deal with an unexpected leave of absence. It’s not fun to think about planning for emergencies BUT if you do it now, you won’t be as stressed with delegating tasks when there’s a disaster.
Trust your team: Taking any length of time away from your firm is going to force you to trust your team and see what they’re really capable of doing. If they’re given the opportunity to shine, they’ll probably surprise you!
Dos and Don'ts of Taking Time Off
I’ve learned a bunchhh of things about what works and what doesn’t when I take an unplugged trip, so here’s the current list of Dos and Don’ts I have (but I’m sure it’ll grow over time!):
Things you should do when you take time away from your business:
Plan ahead: Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for your vacation, ensuring that projects and deadlines are managed properly and client expectations are set.
Delegate and communicate: Trust your team members to handle client work and internal projects while you’re gone. Clear communication is crucial for a smooth transition and avoiding any potential misunderstandings.
Set boundaries: Make it clear to your team and clients that you will be unavailable during your time off. Create a list of specific instances where your team or manager can reach out to you and how they can get in touch.
Fully disconnect: Resist the temptation to check work emails or messages. Allow yourself the space to fully relax and enjoy your time away. I even delete all the work-related apps on my phone so I can’t be tempted to check them!
Things you should NOT do when you take time off:
Overload your schedule: Avoid cramming your calendar with back-to-back meetings or projects leading up to your vacation. This can create unnecessary stress and make it difficult for you to be totally unplugged once you actually leave.
Micromanage: Trust your team members to handle their responsibilities in your absence. Constantly checking in or giving unsolicited advice may undermine their confidence and hinder their professional growth.
Neglect self-care: While it's important to delegate and trust your team, remember to take care of yourself as well. Prioritize your own well-being and engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation.
My Vacation Process
Ready to take that vacation yet? Here’s the exact process I follow every time I need to take time off that you can use for yourself right now:
Decide which tasks you’ll complete before you go on vacation and which ones you can knock out beforehand.
When you assign tasks to your team, make sure there’s an SOP for the task or process so they know exactly how to execute it.
Create a vacation brief where you list out what you expect them to do while you’re gone, when/how they’re allowed to contact you, and where they can add their own notes if necessary.
Have a team meeting where you can answer questions and clarify anything the team may need before you head out
The more you do this, the easier it will be! And when you come back, make sure you ask your team what issues came up that need to be addressed so you don’t have the same thing happen in the future.
Recommended Tech
Google Calendar: I use this to house my entire schedule so that my team and I know where I’m supposed to “be” at all times. If anything conflicts with your time off, ask if it can be rescheduled or canceled completely.
Asana: Hopefully you already have a project management system in place, but if you don’t I highly recommend you do! This will help you and your team stay organized, track progress, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Just reassign any tasks you won’t be able to accomplish while you’re out of office.
Notion or Google Docs: Use either of these to brief your team on your expectations and give them a place to add notes about what issues came up during your absence. Use these insights to make necessary changes and improve your firm's operations.
Clockify: Track your time for a month before your trip and track how long it takes you to do all of your normal tasks. Not everything you actually do is in Asana! This is a super eye-opening experience that I love doing every single day.
Taking time off from your firm is not only essential for your personal well-being but also for the longevity and success of your business. We talk a LOT about how to successfully take yourself out of the business in our group coaching program, Breakthrough for Bookkeepers & Accountants! Our team of coaches and network of firm owners is so powerful in helping you gain confidence and FINALLY take that unplugged vacay you’ve been hoping for!
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