Are you ready for the weekend?

We’ve talked here about the importance of taking time off, self-care and spending time away from your business doing the things you enjoy. It sounds simple enough, so why is this hard for people? It’s especially difficult for entrepreneurs. Many of us have an “always on” attitude toward our businesses. That passion doesn’t have an off switch and we can also find that our work life is bleeding into our personal life. It’s okay for there to be overlap, but it’s also really important that you get some time to yourself, some time to relax, and some time to do non-work things.

That work-life balance is essential to great mental and physical health.

The weekends are a great time to do this. Even if you don’t work a traditional 9-5, the weekend is when your kids are home from school. If you have a partner who works a 9-5, this might be when they are home, too. It’s a time when many of your clients or customers may be enjoying their own time off, so it’s a great time to take off for yourself. This doesn’t mean you can ONLY take weekends off, or that you have to every EVERY weekend off – that’s the beauty of working for yourself; you have flexibility. It just means that this is the best or most natural time for many to take off.

You can make the weekend yours by enjoying time with family and friends, going out to events that only take place on the weekends, catching a movie or a spa day, or doing something else you enjoy.

Taking this time off is essential to have the work-life balance you need. However, that doesn’t mean you have to completely neglect your business all weekend.

Ideally, you will have a set of strategies in place that will work for you and your business, while you are away taking a break. I call this “Set it and forget it”. These are tasks that will keep working for you, even when you’re away. You can step away from the computer and handle other tasks and responsibilities, or just relax with Netflix, or a warm bath, and you don’t have to worry that nothing is happening for your business or marketing.

What kinds of “set it and forget it” tasks do you have scheduled for your business?

Here are some examples:

✔ Scheduled social media posts that automatically go out, even if you’re away from the computer

✔ A VA or social media manager to help you reply to messages and comments on SM while you’re away (especially if you have a big following and a lot of interaction)

✔ Blog posts, guest posts, or published articles that help people find you and increase brand awareness

✔ Paid ads and notices that go out automatically even while you are away

✔ Emails and newsletters to keep you top of mind and in touch with your audience while away from the computer yourself

✔ A passive income source like a course, an ebook, or a mastermind where the work is already done and people can just sign up

Don’t have any at all? It’s not too late! You can start working on a few “set it and forget it” strategies today and put at least one of them into place this week. Then walk away and do something fun!