Vacation time - Take a deep breath
Summer is vacation time for many of us. This is the time of year when we are expected to take time off and create golden memories with our families. We entrust our business to others and spend 24x7 with our families. Yikes!
Planning and taking a vacation can be more stressful than just working. First, the planning. You need to find a place and activities that appeal to everyone in the family. Depending on your family - that can be pretty tough. My husband and I have travelled a lot with our two sons and what I've learned is that it works best when everyone compromises a little. We make sure that the trip includes some things the boys will like but we also make sure that we get to do the things we really want to do. If you go to Paris and spend all your time at Euro Disney, you will feel frustrated and your kids won't learn anything. Travel is a way to stretch your kids to try things they would not otherwise do. Travel can be very educational and really open up the world for your children or it can just be fun. If you decide to do a Disney trip, make sure that some of it is fun for you too. Maybe that means you plan a day just hanging by the pool so that you can relax.
You also need to pace your trip according to the ages of your kids. Small children need food every few hours and they simply cannot handle a museum every day. Teenagers like a little space so cruises can work well for them. If anyone is interested in hearing about some of our more successful trips with our kids, just write to me.
Then there is the problem of disengaging from work. You need to arrange for coverage for everything you do. You need to be clear and thorough with your instructions. Then, you need to step back and trust your team to do what you've asked them to do. They won't do things exactly as you do but that is ok. It has to be ok.
As for laptops, I say leave them at home! Taking your laptop with you to the beach is like napping on the couch. You get a little rest but not really. Leaving your laptop at home when you are on vacation is like taking a long nap on a delicious feather bed. You'll awake rested and re-energized.
Vacations are also a great time to re-connect with your family. It may be a little tense at first as everyone decompresses and gets used to being together. Give it a few days. Be patient. Stay calm. Your mood will set the tone for the vacation so take a lot of deep breaths and focus on relaxing.
You owe it to yourself, your family, your colleagues and your customers to take time off and really disconnect. When you come back, you'll be re-energized and more creative than ever.
I'm going to Costa Rica for two weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.
Good luck to you and Bon Voyage!
Planning and taking a vacation can be more stressful than just working. First, the planning. You need to find a place and activities that appeal to everyone in the family. Depending on your family - that can be pretty tough. My husband and I have travelled a lot with our two sons and what I've learned is that it works best when everyone compromises a little. We make sure that the trip includes some things the boys will like but we also make sure that we get to do the things we really want to do. If you go to Paris and spend all your time at Euro Disney, you will feel frustrated and your kids won't learn anything. Travel is a way to stretch your kids to try things they would not otherwise do. Travel can be very educational and really open up the world for your children or it can just be fun. If you decide to do a Disney trip, make sure that some of it is fun for you too. Maybe that means you plan a day just hanging by the pool so that you can relax.
You also need to pace your trip according to the ages of your kids. Small children need food every few hours and they simply cannot handle a museum every day. Teenagers like a little space so cruises can work well for them. If anyone is interested in hearing about some of our more successful trips with our kids, just write to me.
Then there is the problem of disengaging from work. You need to arrange for coverage for everything you do. You need to be clear and thorough with your instructions. Then, you need to step back and trust your team to do what you've asked them to do. They won't do things exactly as you do but that is ok. It has to be ok.
As for laptops, I say leave them at home! Taking your laptop with you to the beach is like napping on the couch. You get a little rest but not really. Leaving your laptop at home when you are on vacation is like taking a long nap on a delicious feather bed. You'll awake rested and re-energized.
Vacations are also a great time to re-connect with your family. It may be a little tense at first as everyone decompresses and gets used to being together. Give it a few days. Be patient. Stay calm. Your mood will set the tone for the vacation so take a lot of deep breaths and focus on relaxing.
You owe it to yourself, your family, your colleagues and your customers to take time off and really disconnect. When you come back, you'll be re-energized and more creative than ever.
I'm going to Costa Rica for two weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.
Good luck to you and Bon Voyage!
Comments