Holidays are a time to relax and disconnect from work, but they can also be a golden opportunity to tap into your creative potential that will ultimately benefit you and your and your business.

In my last post I talked about how to prepare your business for your absence so that you can fully relax with few or any interruptions.

In this post I want to talk about how you can use your holiday to benefit your business and without it feeling like work.

By intentionally using your time away from the office, you can return refreshed, with innovative ideas and strategies that can drive your care business forward.

1. Plan Strategically and Feed Your Mind

Before you start your holiday, set clear intentions for what you hope to achieve creatively and strategically.

Are there specific areas of your business that challenge you and demand your time? Would resolving these challenges make a big difference on how effectively your business runs?

For example, is your staff turnover too high? If it is then that’s costing you time and money to recruit and train new people and would be a great problem to solve.

With that problem set in your mind, at some point during the holiday you’ll be ready to think about how to address it. You will also likely find ideas springing forth because your brain has been working on the problem in the background.

Pick one to three key challenges and prioritise so that even if you only address one, you’ve addressed the biggest one.

If you don’t know how to address a problem and need some insight or simply wish to improve on what is already there then find a book on the subject. This is where thinking about this before your holiday is crucial as you can look for a book on the subject.

Also consider audio books – they can be great for taking in information aurally and making notes as you go.

Are you a good leader? Are there areas of your leadership style that you wish were better? If you want to improve your leadership skills there are oodles of books out there including “Leadership Plain, Plain and Simple” by Steve Radcliffe. Of course, you’ll be shown alternative titles so take your pick.

Do you find the day has flown by and you’ve not achieved the things you set out to, and so do you need help with your productivity and time management? If so, then check out “Getting Things Done.” By David Allen.

If you want some inspiration for how to think and plan strategically you could check out books like “Good Strategy Bad Strategy” by Richard Rumelt or  “The Strategy Book” by Max Mckeown.

If you want a business growth book, check out “Traction” by Gino Wickman or “Scaling Up” by Verne Harnish.

And dare I mention a book on how to build your business on a solid foundation called, “Your Business Foundation” that I wrote 10 years ago when coaching business owners on how to build strong businesses.

I don’t consider myself an author but had the urge at the time and, even though I’m a better writer now and would re-write if I had the time and inclination, I’m proud that I wrote a book that has helped many business owners build solid businesses.

If you can’t think of anything specific then try a more general life-style type book. I’m just coming to the end of “The 5am Club” by Robin Sharma (audiobook version). It has some interesting ideas and many pearls of wisdom wrapped up in a fictional story that is a bit too sugary for my liking. But cut through the sugar and it’s a thought-provoking book that is making me think about how I structure my days and weeks as well as more big picture life stuff.

2. Reflect on Personal Development

I mentioned reflecting on you as a leader and want to expand on that. Your holiday is a perfect time to honestly assess your leadership strengths and weaknesses.

Where have you struggled in the past? Where do you lack confidence? Reflect on past leadership experiences and identify patterns and set personal development goals with a plan to achieve them.

It can be hard to self-analyse and admit your weaknesses. But acknowledging weaknesses is in fact a strength. It shows a level of emotional intelligence, which is vital for good leadership.

That reminds me of another good book, “Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman. This is an insightful book on the importance of EQ (emotional intelligence) over IQ for leaders.

Investing in yourself is one of the best investments you can make and so few do it. Books like the ones I’ve highlighted can really help but if you think a book isn’t going to cut it then invest in a coach who can help you with your specific challenges.

3. Take Care of Yourself

How physically and mentally healthy are you? Use your holiday time to think about you and your health.

Your health is crucial for sustaining creativity, for effective leadership and for getting through the tough times.

It should also be your top priority outside of your business. If you put everyone else first and have no time for you then you will eventually struggle and possibly even make yourself ill.

We have one life and need to live it, not simply get through it.

Take some time to think about your life back home and how much you spend on you. Do you exercise, go out for walks in the countryside, laugh with friends, sit down on your own to a good book, have quality time with loved ones and stay away from screens that shout for your attention?

As we get older, looking after our health becomes more and more important. If we physically hurt ourselves, we don’t recover like we used to. But we recover quicker if physically healthy than if not. We also reduce the chances of being hurt.

And the longer we leave being physically healthy the harder it gets. So, if exercise isn’t a top priority for you, use this relaxing time to think about this and resolve to make it a priority. We can always find the time for this – not having enough time is a common but unrealistic excuse.

Exercise has so many benefits, both to our physical mental health. If you don’t currently exercise everyday then make it a priority. And that doesn’t require a gym – there are plenty of body-weight exercises (calisthenics) we can do and walking is a great exercise.

And whilst on holiday, try a new sport or exercise. Are there classes like yoga or Tai Chi or salsa dancing? If so, give them a go.

4. Unplug and Disconnect

Constant connectivity with portable devices will hinder your ability to think creatively. By its very nature, it grabs at your attention and feeds you with information that will keep it for longer than you intended.

Hours can easily be wasted on social media sites and entertaining and funny some videos can be, the vast majority is mindless crap that we’re all guilty of being sucked into.

Take a break from your devices and allow your brain to rest and wander – it will lead to new ideas.

This morning as the sun rose, I walked the dogs, surrounded by fields of sunflowers. They are breath-taking and with the peace and solitude, your mind can’t help but take you to places you wouldn’t go when surrounded by distractions and noise.

With the pre-holiday preparation for a relaxing holiday that I talked about in my last post you shouldn’t feel the need to check emails that often. But if you do feel you need to then set specific times to check them and any messages.

Turn notifications off. We’re like Pavlov’s dog when it comes to those pings.

Nature has a powerful effect on our minds. Whether it’s a beach, mountains, or a forest, spending time in nature can reduce stress and stimulate creative thinking. Have your phone with you in case you need it but turn it off whilst you don’t.

5. Try Something New and Challenge Yourself

Engaging in new activities can stimulate your brain and lead to creative breakthroughs.

If you don’t have a hobby use your holiday time to think about an activity you would like to take up.

Cooking? Art classes? Photography? Learning a musical instrument? My guitar is a great escape for me.

Work is a big challenge. But what about outside work? Do you challenge yourself in a way that stresses you before you do it but gives you huge satisfaction after your done it?

A couple of years ago I bought a motorbike having not ridden for around 15 years. I tootled around but generally played safe.

A couple of months ago a friend and I had tickets to see Eric Clapton performing in Newcastle and my friend (a biker) challenged me to ride up.

This would be the longest ride I ever taken and with some trepidation I agreed. The trip was a challenge, not least on my derriere, but the sense of achievement was huge.

It spurred me to think about my next bike challenge. Right now, I’m writing this in France. My wife drove the car with our luggage and dogs and I rode down on the bike. And I have to say, tough as it was, especially through a severe downpour, I am so pleased I did it and have a real sense of achievement. Of course, I have to get home at the end of this and so the challenge isn’t over yet.

Life is for living not existing and so challenge yourself to do something that takes you out of your comfort zone.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.” Mark Twain

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Holidays are not just for rest—they’re an ideal time for unlocking creativity, addressing leadership and business challenges and thinking about your life and what you want from however long you have left.

By embracing new environments, disconnecting from the digital world, engaging in creative activities, connecting with others, reflecting on personal development, and planning strategically, you can return from your holiday with a refreshed mind and a wealth of new ideas.

On your return from holiday it is important not to lose the momentum in executing the ideas formed whilst on holiday.  Read this post where I take you through steps that will help you harness the post-holiday momentum, organise your thoughts, engage your team, and transform your visionary ideas into tangible business success.