Everyone needs a break from time to time and, with summer getting started, now is when a lot of us will be thinking about some well-earned downtime. If you’re an entrepreneur however, you know that taking time off can mean taking valuable time away from your ongoing learning and development.
While downtime is necessary to avoid burnout, it is possible to combine relaxation time with further development that could feed into your entrepreneurship journey. Ongoing personal development is vital for business success, and it’s important to grow and learn as much as possible. So, how you can enjoy the summer holidays, and keep learning at the same time?
Taking a culture trip
When it comes to travel and holidays, many of us picture lazy days by the pool. Choosing to holiday somewhere with a rich culture and history however can be a great way to turn your trip into something more than just relaxation.
Immersing yourself in a new country and culture gives us opportunities to form new connections with unexpected people and new perspectives and new ways of thinking and doing things. Spending time in different cultures means learning new histories and broadening your horizons – helping you develop empathy and the ability to communicate with a wide variety of people. These skills are vital and can give any entrepreneur an edge.
Take the right reading material
Even if you are planning to spend your travel time lounging on a beach, that doesn’t mean you should stop developing.
Keeping your mind sharp even on a break can help you to come up with new ideas and learn things you might not expect. Don’t just pack light-hearted beach reads, however, some fiction is a good idea. Choose books relevant to your field and some books recommended by other successful entrepreneurs and titans of the business world that can inspire you to come back from your trip with fresh new energy and ideas.
Remote working while travelling
Of course, you can always work while you’re travelling. Remote working is done all around the world – just grab your laptop and head off on your travels. Make sure that you have an excellent WiFi connection, too. You can then head to countries with digital nomad communities where you will be able to rub shoulders with others in a similar position and begin new conversations. And with tools like Dropbox and other cloud based solutions, file sharing with clients and employees is easier than ever, wherever in the world you are.
Other tools such as Google Drive also allow teams to work on live documents with others or on your own from wherever they might be, and perhaps even utilise some productivity apps to stay on track even if you’re technically on holiday.
There are so many ways that you can keep developing as you head off on your travels, whether you are simply spending some time on a beach vacation or spending an entire summer travelling across the world. No matter where you go or what you do, make sure to keep learning and you will return to your laptop bursting with fresh enthusiasm, a new perspective, and unexpected ideas.
