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As much as I love the idea of a vacation, as a freelancer, it can be super stressful to take one. Those of us who operate in this realm know all too well how much planning and work it takes to enjoy time off. Before you throw up the “gone fishing” sign, you must do what’s necessary to ensure things operate smoothly in your absence.
The biggest challenge (at least for me) is doubling up on work prior to vacation. Sure I could throw up my hands, but who doesn’t want to earn money? Remember, there’s no paid vacation. No work, no coin.
This is why I’m such an advocate for preparing sooner than later. Take a look at your vacation time frame, and ask yourself if you have enough room in your schedule to prepare for your time away. Hopefully you won’t need to leave anything last minute as things can and will fall through the cracks. When I don’t leave time to plan, I always forget something.
Another important must is to make your plans known. Sure you technically work for yourself, but it’s still good business practice to give customers and those who hire you a heads up regarding your plans. This will allow them to make any necessary adjustments on their end while you’re gone. As a rule of thumb, I always try to let folks know about my vacation plans several weeks in advance.
Once clear for vacation take off, I separate my work load into pieces. Does anyone else feel overwhelmed when faced with additional tasks? Lord knows I do, which is why my prep time is so important. Things tend to be more productive when I’m able to add a couple extra hours to my workday. This also makes the likelihood of all-nighters slim to none.
In the midst of trying to take care of your daily work demands, your personal life and tasks you need to complete before your vacation, it’s important to create a to-do list. The simple act of jotting things down has been a major saving grace in my life as it keeps you organized and your thoughts clear. After all, who really enjoys doing too many things last minute?
Not me.
Call me an over planner or just cautious, I always try to have a back up plan. Sure random things can and will occur, but if I’m on vacation, I have zero intentions to do work of any kind. A good rule of thumb is to think of additional needs that might arise, or go wrong. Yes you can’t control everything, but at least you’re trying your best to stay one step ahead.
Hopefully you can get your planning done beforehand. Heaven knows all of us deserve a vacation. The more you put on autopilot, the more you can enjoy your trip. Freelancers can be very hard on themselves — as if we don’t already question whether we do enough, and if our absence will somehow affect our contracts. Stop worrying about all the “what if” scenarios that may or may not happen. Like other professionals, you deserve time off for your hard work.
To recap, here are the do’s and dont’s:
DO prepare sooner than later
DON’T leave too much on your plate for the last minute
DO make your plans known by giving a heads up
DON’T try to do everything all at once (split it into pieces)
DO utilize to-do lists that will keep you organized
How do you plan for vacation?
