I recently took a proper holiday to Peru. For the first time, I completely switched off from work. No checking emails, no laptop, no keeping tabs on what was happening back home.
And honestly, it made me reflect on how important it is to step away from what we do every day.It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of working in your business without creating enough time to work on it.
In farming, there’s always something that needs doing. Another job to finish, another decision to make, another problem to solve.When do you actually get the space to think about whether you’re doing things the best way?
I think one of the most undervalued things in agriculture is getting off the farm.Not because the farm isn’t important, but because spending all your time in the same environment, talking to the same people and solving the same problems can make it difficult to see things differently.
Getting off farm exposes you to new ideas, different business models and people who challenge the way you think. It might be seeing how another farmer operates, learning from someone in a completely different industry, attending a workshop or simply having a conversation with someone who sees the world differently.
Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from working harder or finding another technical solution. They come from questioning an assumption you’ve held for years, seeing a different way of doing things or realising there’s an opportunity you hadn’t considered.
There’s also value in simply having the mental space to think clearly. When you’re constantly busy, it’s easy to spend all your energy responding to what’s immediately in front of you rather than thinking about where you actually want to go.
And this isn’t just about improving the farm. It’s about improving yourself as a business owner and a person.Your business can only develop as far as your own thinking, knowledge and capacity allow it to. If you want your farm business to grow and improve, you need to invest in yourself as well.
That might mean taking a day off, attending an event, building your network, travelling to see other farming systems or taking a proper holiday where you genuinely switch off.
I know switching off isn’t always easy, particularly when you’re responsible for a farm, a team, livestock and a business. But perhaps that’s exactly why it matters.
If your farm can’t function without you checking your phone every few hours, that might be telling you something important about the systems and people you have around you.
I’m not suggesting you can simply walk away from the realities of farming. But I do think we need to challenge the idea that being constantly available and busy is a sign of being a good farmer or business owner.Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is create enough space to think differently.
So when was the last time you got off your farm, switched off from work and invested in yourself?
It might be one of the best investments you make in your business.
Let's chat about how we can help you invest in yourself and your farm.
