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April 1, 2015

Top 3 Benefits from Taking a Workation

WorkationI haven’t taken a break from my business for three years. Doing the majority of the work myself, keeping on top of my team, and dealing with unstable cash flow – you know, all the notoriously common small business challenges – kept me from taking the time. Maybe you get it.

Last January, I was approached by East Van Yogini, Danielle Hoogenboom, who is on a mission to heal the world with Yin Yoga, to collaborate on her business. She pitched her yoga teacher training retreat to me as a way for me to get to know her style, products, and receive much needed healing for my Post Concussion Syndrome, and I happily took the bait.

So a few weeks later, I found myself at my very first yoga retreat, just outside Ocho Rios, Jamaica at Bromley Estate, Instead of taking the teacher training classes, I opted for the morning group yoga, a solo practice in the afternoon, and I used my extra time to rest and recover and to carve out space to make the business plans I need going forward.

This is what I’ve discovered about Workations:

  1. Workations are not a cop-out from a full vacation. I can spend a couple of hours a day — and even skip some days — and get intense productivity. I delegated all my usual tasks to my most excellent team (without the right team, I am lost, but that is a different blog post). So stop feeling guilty if you don’t unplug for the entire time. But, do schedule your work in regular chunks of time. That way your travel companions will not feel neglected or irritated. Your work time can fit in around field trips with your family or friends, and you can remain as unplugged as possible during these times.
  2. Workations build trust between you and your team. Delegating important tasks and allowing my team members to work together without me constantly making the decisions helped this business owner realize that my team is capable beyond my usual expectations. In addition, the workation let my team members realize that they are capable. And they get a great sense of accomplishment and camaraderie. Who knew getting away from them would be such a good team-building exercise!
  3. Workations will lead to creative ideas. When people carve out time in their day to have fun and experience new things, new neural pathways are created. When it’s time to focus on work, these new pathways help people to see and explore the same old challenges with new insights. This workation is significantly increasing my eureka moments.

I had such a great time, feel recharged and got so much planning done, I am considering planning quarterly workations. Tell me where your favourite workation spot is, I’d love some recommendations!

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