How you take a vacation from your business matters, and I've got tips to help you do it better.

This is the first in a 6-part series of minisodes. In each one, I'm geeking out about an aspect of your business that matters.

Tips for taking vacations right:

• Build vacation into your overall financial plan. Base your overall earning goals on 40 weeks a year or 45 weeks. Give yourself weeks off for sickness, emergencies, AND vacation.
• Don't apologize for taking a vacation. Your clients suffer when you do.
• Get coverage early
• Don't double up on clients the week before you go or the week you return.
• Notice what your best vacation rhythm is. If it's a few days off more often or if it's a full month off once a year and fewer other vacations throughout the year.
• Create a to-do list for the day you return. You won't remember exactly where you left things. Imagine yourself on the day you'll return and give yourself a list of what's most important.
• Decide what you're going to do about email ahead of time. If you don't want to check email, make it clear that you're not. Set a vacation auto-reply.
• Don't say you'll get back to people on the day you return. Be realistic. Say you'll be returning emails the WEEK you return.
• If it's a long break, give yourself one admin day after you return before you start seeing clients.
• Consider a staycation. If you can't afford to go away or don't want to go away, take time off and stay in town.
• If you decide to return any emails while you're away, you can schedule your emails to be sent after you return from vacation. That way you're not encouraging a back and forth email conversation during your break.
• Anticipate your vacation for as long as possible. Research tells us that we get half of our enjoyment of wonderful events in the anticipation of them. Spend time and energy looking forward to and planning that vacation.

Why is this all such a big deal? The way you take a vacation is one of those things that will determine whether you are able to thrive in your business and love being an entrepreneur OR burn out over time. I want you to love your business.

From Friday, August 24th to Sunday, August 26th, I'm running Superpower Intensive, where I will take 10 therapists through the Superpower Method For Therapists® in person. We'll get the steps done together in a beautiful house in Berkeley. We're not gonna stay there, but we'll hang out and make bold business moves together. Learn about it and apply.

Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/64