Summer is here!  Have you planned your summer vacation yet?

I expect a lot of tax professionals reading this might not have a summer vacation planned. You might think that you don't have time to go away because you’re too busy or don’t have the money.

It’s not just me and my team at my Tax and Business Solutions Academy™ who believe in the power of a summer vacation (or a vacation any time of the year).  The power of vacation is a proven medical fact - your brain needs a break. So instead of me regurgitating boring medical facts on why you need time off, I’m going to share a few tips on how to make that vacation happen - summer or any time of the year.

Summer Vacation is a Must for Tax Professionals!
Tips to Make it Happen!

TIP #1: Schedule your time off just like you would book an appointment with a client. Open your calendar and mark down the days you’ll be out of the office. The only way you are going to find the time is to plan for it. Some of you might be good at scheduling some R&R for yourselves, but I know more people who aren’t - starting with me!  Luckily, Roslyn calendars vacation time off for me - she holds me accountable.

TIP #2: Money an issue? Set a budget of what you want to spend. Your vacation doesn’t have to be expensive. When our daughters were younger and money was tight, Roslyn was always awesome about finding great vacation deals. We used to go to Palm Springs in the summer — not a vacation for everyone — but not only were the rooms half-off in the fancy resorts, but the kids got to eat for free. Nowadays there are so many travel sites with great deals. Our daughter, who is in grad school and is on a very tight budget, books her trips through airbnb.com.

TIP #3: Set money aside for your trip. Roslyn always “earmarks” money in our budget for vacations. She has a system for doing that — too long to describe in this column — but you could do something as simple as open a separate checking account to deposit money in for your vacation. You’ll be surprised at how quickly a little bit set aside regularly adds up. One friend of our had a yard sale and used that money toward a trip to Europe.

TIP #4: Once your budget is finalized, decide what you are going to do on your vacation. Don’t wing it. If you wait until the last minute, your hotel, flight, or even campsite might already be booked. Many times you can get better prices for what you want to do by booking ahead of time. Besides, once you make plans, you will have something to look forward to.

You deserve a break - unplug to recharge.  It's amazing what a little time off can do to help make big strides in your business.