There’s nothing quite like coming home after eight glorious weeks swanning around Europe. I ate the food, drank the wine, floated down
rivers, wandered cobblestone streets, and remembered what it feels like to have absolutely no responsibilities beyond choosing between
gelato flavours. It was a once‑in‑a‑lifetime trip, and honestly, I needed every minute of that downtime.
But here’s the thing. Coming back to reality after a long holiday can be chaos. Your brain is still in “Croissant Mode”, your inbox is
threatening to unionise, and your clients are gently waving from the shoreline like, “Hi! Welcome back! We missed you! Also… where’s that
report?”
Yesterday, an iconic bookkeeper asked me incredulously how I managed eight weeks away without my practice imploding. I flippantly said,
“Systems, baby.” But it made me think — how did I actually do it?
Turns out, it wasn’t luck. It was structure, planning, and a whole lot of letting go of my inner control‑freak bookkeeper gremlin.
Let’s be honest, we are a special breed.
• We’re control freaks.
Not in a bad way. In an “I know exactly where every BAS lodgement since 2014 lives” way.
• We struggle to hand things over.
Asking for help often feels like admitting defeat. Spoiler, it’s not.
• The work never stops.
Processing, emails, compliance, reporting, mentoring. It’s like a never‑ending tide that's always in.
• We fear the inbox monster.
I’ve come home from past holidays to 1,000+ emails waiting to ambush me like seagulls spotting chips.
• We care deeply about our clients.
Which is beautiful, but also exhausting if we never switch off.
Honestly, bookkeepers trying to take a holiday can be like trying to get toddlers to nap: theoretically possible but practically
questionable.
So, how did I actually pull off eight weeks away?This time, I did things differently, and it worked.
Firstly, I hired a “mini‑me”. They were a trusted, experienced bookkeeping professional, who I have worked with before, who I asked to step
in while I was away. They had:
• My XBert workflows
• Loom videos
• My SOP documents
• Clear instructions
• And my blessing to keep things humming
They weren’t there to replace me, just hold the fort and keep the lights on while I was away.
Secondly, I systemised EVERYTHING, and I mean everything. From admin to emails to workflows to processing and finally reporting. All
streamlined. All documented. All predictable. I reviewed all my systems before I left, and if I could do it smarter, I tweaked stuff and
made it happen. XBert was my backbone. Loom was my voice. My systems were the difference between “holiday” and “pretending to be on holiday
while secretly working”.
Thirdly, I checked in, but lightly. Twice a week, for about two hours, while my husband napped (so I didn’t get the classic, “Tracey, why
are you always working?”). I answered and cleared emails, checked the work completed in client files, reviewed financial positions and
prepared weekly reports. All the regular reminder emails to clients were drafted and scheduled before I left to make sure they stayed on
their toes. It kept me connected without dragging me back into full‑time mode.
Finally, my practice is now intentionally small. That makes things more manageable. Beachy Bookkeeping is exactly the size I want at this
stage of my career. My clients are interesting, understanding, supportive and were absolute gems about me taking a real break. I’m
incredibly lucky and grateful for that.
Taking eight weeks off won’t work for everyone, and that’s okay. But stepping away at all is essential.
With the right systems, the right support, and the right mindset, bookkeepers can take real breaks without burning out or returning to a
disaster zone.
If you want to know more about how I managed it, or how you can set up your practice to take proper time off, give me a shout. I’m always
happy to share what’s worked for me.
