Many entrepreneurs I talk to describe themselves similarly: they want to keep creating, achieving more, and staying in it for the long haul. But their calendar doesn’t support that: it looks like one forever sprint.
In sports, business, and life, alternating speed and intensity is a natural rhythm. Going against that by having no real time off in your calendar is risky.
Checking messages over morning coffee on weekends? Taking urgent calls while your kids watch TV on holiday? Those are still work days. Aiming to be “in it for the long run” may miss the mark. Your choices could lead to a different outcome: a burned-out entrepreneur.
Most of us learned that we can treat rest as a reward for work or do it “when things calm down”. We fill our calendar with work activities first. Then, we try to fit in some free time.
It is well known that we perform best when our energy is fully charged. To stay in business long-term you also need to care for yourself. Free days are one solid way to do that.
From that angle, putting rest and recharging first, before the work, makes sense. This means marking the free days in your calendar first.
A true day off is 24 hours with no work-related thinking, reading, or activity of any kind. When your mind is fully diverted, you return to work with fresh energy.
Marking a free day in your calendar is rather straightforward. Actually having one is not. Three things have made it easier for the founders I work with:
- Give your free day a real date, then a rhythm. If you have not had a true free day in months, or ever, it will not survive being stuffed into next week. Choose a future date you can truly keep. Pick any weekday that works for you; some like Wednesdays, while others prefer Sundays. Repeat it on the same day each week or month. This way, the calendar supports your habit, not just your willpower.
- Leave the place where work lives. Staying in the environment where you usually work, even when it is your home, makes not working very hard. Visit a place unrelated to your work. It could be a retreat, a staycation, or a club with all-day activities. Just show up and enjoy; no other demands.
- Tell your team well in advance. Let them know in advance that you won’t be available that day. No messages, calls, or emails. When told in advance, people plan around it. Many founders feel a joyful surprise: their team didn’t need them. They felt mentally energised even long after the free day.
Book a free day or two in your calendar now, before anything claims that time. Write down what your free day might look like. What does the business need to run without you then? If booking a free day feels uncomfortable, it shows how much the business depends on you. It’s good to note this down, too.
If you’d like to, share your free day plans with me. I would love to hear from you.