How to Take a Long Weekend Without Your Business Falling Apart

Last Friday at noon, I shut my laptop.

And I didn’t open it again until Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile…it was month-end.

The time when most business owners are scrambling to send invoices, wrap up client projects, and check a million “loose ends” off their list.

But me? I was at a pizza parlor with my sons and husband for a surprise lunch date. Then we went home, enjoyed the (already-fall-in-PA?!) weather, and kicked off a 3-day weekend where I didn’t touch a single piece of work.

And here’s the best part: NOTHING FELL APART.

My clients were happy. My business didn’t implode.

It wasn’t luck. It was planning.

(Ugh can I just add that I absolutely HATE when people tell me I'm so "lucky" when it comes to having a successful business or being able to work from home...IT'S NOT LUCK PEOPLE, I WORKED TO HAVE THIS LIFE!)

Why Most Business Owners Struggle to Step Away

For the longest time, I thought “being successful” meant being glued to my laptop. Inbox open 24/7. Slack notifications on. Ready to swoop in at any client request.

But you know what that really meant?

• I was reactive instead of proactive.

• I worked late nights on things that didn’t move my business forward.

• I confused being busy with being productive.

  
  

Sound familiar?

(And if you read last week’s story about crying over my color-coded to-do list… yeah, you know exactly what I mean.)

The Secret: Time-Blocking With Life First

Here’s what changed everything for me: I stopped treating my life like an afterthought.

Instead of penciling in family, rest, and personal time after work… I started blocking those things in first.

• School pickups.

• Friday family lunches.

• CEO days where I’m thinking, not just doing.

• Even “breathe + rest” blocks so I don’t stack my calendar wall-to-wall.

  
  

Once those non-negotiables were in?

THEN I filled in client projects, calls, and deadlines.

And guess what? Work still got done.

Only now, I don’t feel resentful every time my kid asks if we can go for ice cream or my husband suggests a random afternoon walk.

Tools That Make This Actually Doable

• Google Calendar or a paper planner → The tool doesn’t matter as much as sticking with ONE system.

• Flodesk automations → So I can write emails on Friday and have them hit inboxes on Monday while I’m at the park.

• Later.com → Batch scheduling posts = no more “oh crap, I forgot to post again.”

• Inbox pauses (Boomerang or Gmail settings) → because “just one more reply” at 10 p.m. is a productivity killer.

  
  

The truth? Half of your stress comes from trying to remember to do things. Systems and automation hold it for you.

Your First Step This Week

Take 10 minutes.

Pull up your calendar and block ONE pocket of personal time before you add a single work task.

• Lunch with a friend.

• A guilt-free nap.

• Picking your kids up early.

• Closing the laptop an hour earlier than usual.

  
  

That’s how you start. Not with a complicated productivity system, but with a simple non-negotiable that reminds you:

✨ Your business should revolve around your life. Not the other way around.

What’s Next

I’m toying with the idea of creating a free training + template on time-blocking your calendar the way I do — so you can take long weekends without losing clients or cashflow.

If that sounds like something you’d use, go vote in this week’s poll inside my newsletter (or vote below.) If enough of you want it, I’ll make it happen.

• I'd be interested in that!
• Ehh maybe
• Nah, I'm good