Josh doing an obligatory selfie in front of the Ghost Dog of Christmas Past
#PostDontStop is just a hashtag. We all know that everyone needs to get away to recharge the batteries. Otherwise you risk overworking yourself which leads to burnout, and then your work will surely suffer. Either that or you become easily irritable and become no fun to be around, which your workmates and clients will surely notice. Because of this you should never neglect your mental or physical health and should allow yourself a break when you need it.
If you have a contract or permanent position then your employer should allow for vacation time, but if you are a freelancer then you have both the freedom and responsibility of choosing the right time to go on vacation.
Before you pack up and leave, you should leave your business in good order so that you're ready to operate when you get back. Here is my own 4-point mental checklist for going away:
• Contact your clients
A simple email to your current clients to tell them when you're gone and what time you'll be returning is all it takes to cover your arse. Allow them enough time to ask any important questions before you leave. They'll appreciate that you took the time to let them know.
• Update your co-workers and assistants
Any members of shared projects should be aware that you're taking off, and you should make sure that they have everything they need to do their work without you. The last thing you want is an email from a panicked co-worker who needs files off of your computer and no access to it.
• Upload files for yourself that you wil need
If I ever feel like there are project elements that I may (even in an emergency) need to get at, they go up to a Dropbox/Google Drive folder or I email them to myself. You never know.
• Write up a To-Do List for when you return
I don't want to be thinking of work while I'm away, so anything I need to remind myself of goes into a Return To-Do List. This list doesn't get looked at until I'm back in the office. That way it's out of my mind and I can relax without worry.
Nick in BC doing an obligatory beard-selfie on a hike.
Coincidentally both Josh and myself planned vacations for ourselves at the same time. He's over in Japan while I'm over in BC.
But worry not! We left the Cmd+Edit offices on autorun, with new episodes to go out each Monday morning. Even vacation doesn't keep the podcast from running. So I guess there still is a bit of truth to #PostDontStop even when work does go on pause.