How many times have you used the excuse of being to busy? Over the years, I've used it often to justify not having a holiday, but when my folks invited me out to Lanzarote for the weekend as they have an apartment there, I jumped at the idea ...
I didn't like Luton airport much. It was absolutely rammed, even at such an early hour, so I never got a chance to sit down and have breakfast. One thing I did like was the concierge parking at the terminal. "Hello Miss Lewis, here's your chitty, we'll take it from here, have a great trip!" was exactly what I needed at 5am. So, in the terminal, I got through security, grabbed a coffee and went to the gate to wait for my flight.
I won't go on about the journey, or even what we did when I was there, except to say my shoulders are really burned, I was blown away with Lanzarote itself, the views were spectacular, the food was good and the alcohol flowed freely ..., but most importantly, it was a chance to catch up with my Mum and Dad, and just relax.
Coming back on Sunday I was squashed into my little RyanAir seat and spent the whole journey enjoying the views out of my window and guessing where we were. I've never travelled on regional aircraft before, being used to 747s and their ilk on long haul flights, so some of the (more extreme) in-air manoeuvres were interesting, but both EasyJet and RyanAir were exactly as advertised, and got me where I needed to go.
I finally arrived home late afternoon on Sunday, collapsed into my big comfy chair, scoffed some scrummy food and just chilled out before an early night. I spent some time thinking about my trip and how lovely it was to spend time with my parents.
I didn't have to think about anything the whole time; walks were planned, the views were taken in, food was scheduled, alcohol was provided ... I feel so appreciative that I didn't really have to think about anything for a whole weekend, and was looked after from start to finish. I really, really needed that.
It made me realise that we can get stuck in our patterns of work, work, work with an unrelenting focus on our goals, and this really can't be good for our mental health! Early-stage SaaS founders definitely need a break from time to time!
Yes, it's important to get your tasks done, yes it's important to pay attention to the needs and wants of your subscribers, and yes it's vital you stay focused on your goals ..., but what is most important is giving yourself time ... time to relax, time to experience something new, time to just be with friends and family and switch off from work ... and that's a simple lesson I learned from a weekend away with my parents.
And the best thing is, I get to do it again as they've invited me back before they head home to Australia.
If anything I've mentioned here resonates with you, do call me on 07490 373980 and let's see how I can help.