1. Negocios

Answer me this question: Do you need to take time off work? Now, I know, I
know you’re living that sweet, sweet freelance life. I know you’re doing what you
love. I know you’ve got the freedom to close up “shop” for two hours so that you
can go to your son’s midday soccer game… but the question still stands,
regardless of what kind of work you do.
Maybe I should rephrase the question. How about, “Would you appreciate a real,
honest-to-goodness holiday break from your freelance work?”
Of course you would appreciate it… and that fact alone means that you deserve
one. Why? Because you make the rules, and even people who do what they love
need a break every once in awhile.
In a world where clients have “content emergencies” at 11pm and “paid
vacation” is an alien phrase, how do you actually take a holiday as a freelancer?
Remind Yourself of the Perks
Here’s the deal with freelancer vacations: you’re the one who has to cover them.
You’re going to lose your work time (and be responsible for making it up), you’re
going to have to pay for any travel expenses, and you’re also going to have to
make sure your business doesn’t fall apart while you’re away.
That’s a little intimidating, right?
When it comes to justifying a freelancer vacation, it’s helpful to do some reflection
on your career and lifestyle. As a freelancer, you don’t have to answer to a boss. If
you spill coffee down the front of your shirt in the morning, it’s not going to be in
the caras you speed down the freeway trying to make it to work on time. You can
pack up your computer and get work done at the veterinary office while your cat
has surgery. You can correspond with potential clients on your phone without
disturbing the sleep-deprived baby who just dozed off in your lap.
You are your boss. You make your business work and you can absolutely make a
freelance vacation...
CLICK TO TWEET
Break Before the Burnout
Freelancers are no strangers to burnouts. Working late at night, responding to
emails throughout the day, and dealing with the administrative duties are simply
hazards of the trade. If not handled properly, this can lead to total collapse
. Can you imagine trying to plan a vacation for yourself when all you want to do is eat
ice cream on your couch while crying to your cat about 80s movies? I sure can’t.
That’s why it’s important to schedule some time for yourself before you really need it.
You’ll end up with a much more enjoyable break.
Get Strategic about Saving
When scheduling time off work, you want to do whatever you can to ensure yourself
a freelance holiday that is as stress-free as possible. One of the best ways to do this is
to make sure that your finances are sitting pretty and that your vacation expenses are
covered. The only way to do that is to be strategic about the money you make and
save.
If you’re planning on taking a vacation that lasts longer than a weekend, you’re going
to be losing valuable work time. While, of course, you want to have enough money
saved up to enjoy your break, you should also consider making up the work time
you’ll be losing before you actually go. Get assignments done early. Work an extra
hour every day. Work on the weekends if you don’t already. Basically, get as much
work off your plate as you can before your trip so that you don’t have it hanging over
your head the whole time.
If you can plan your vacation a few months ahead of time, you can also use the
same tactics mentioned above to save up for both your travel expenses (think
brewery tours and zipline adventures and brewery tour/zipline combo adventures),
as well as making up for any income you’ll be losing for that week.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Remember, you’re not taking time off work simply to be able to work in a fancy new
location. You’re planning a vacation. An honest-to-goodness break. The idea is to
work as little as possible… but if you want to do that without returning to the
smoking ruins of your business, you’ll need to communicate with your clients about
your break well in advance.
Depending on the type of freelance work you do, this communication might include
measures taken to keep your clients’ need consistently met. This may mean working
extra before your break, or temporarily sending the work to someone else in order
to maintain seamless service.
Send an email, send an owl, give them a call… whatever you need to do to let your
clients know that from date X to date Y, you will be unavailable for any new work
and conditionally reachable.
Go Into “Emergency Mode”
Alright, so I know I threw out the phrase “conditionally reachable” right at the
end of that last paragraph. Let’s unpack that.
We all know, that as owners of our own businesses, it’s very hard to give up
control… and sometimes that’s a good thing. Simply throwing up your hands and
leaving your business to the wolves while you go on vacation is just a really bad
idea. So, you know, don’t do that.
Instead, try employing the 80/20 method. This means that 80% of your time will
be spent relaxing, water skiing, dressed up as a superhero at ComiCon… basically,
doing whatever you want. The other 20% can be spent checking email, looking
over the business to make sure that things are running smoothly, and posting on
your business’ social media profiles. You can even do actual work if you want; just
make sure at least 80% of your time is staying true to your goal of taking time off.
If you do plan to do a little work during your break, make sure you’ve got all your
tech needs packed. You don’t want to get stuck waiting in line for the single
computer next to your hotel’s front desk.
Embrace a Little Outsourcing
One way to take time off without missing a beat is to delegate your responsibilities
to someone else. I mentioned the freelancer’s difficulty with giving up control
earlier, but if you know of some freelancers you trust and admire, outsourcing that
week’s work might be the perfect way to take a break and strengthen your
business network. Who knows, they might ask you to repay the favor when they
take their next holiday break.
A Break Should Always Be in the Cards
So, maybe your situation won’t allow a week’s vacation in a far away place. Maybe
the best you can pull off is a day. A day away from the kids… a day where you don’t
even think about your email. If that’s the case… take that day. Pick up a book and
take it to your favorite coffee shop. Buy yourself lunch at the fanciest place in
town. Get a much-needed massage. Sit for four hours on your roof snacking on
almonds and thinking about space stuff like black holes and Mars.
You’re a freelancer because you want control of your time. You’re a freelancer
because you enjoy the freedom this life grants you. You’re a freelancer, and you
deserve a break, just like anyone else.
Article Resource: https://www.approveme.com/freelancing/how-to-actually-taketime-off-work-as-a-freelancer/