There is nothing like a vacation to help you feel rejuvenated. In fact, taking time away from work enables you to be more effective when you get back to work. It is only by taking time away from work that we are able to clear our heads, gain perspective and refresh our creativity.
In an article in Inc. Magazine, Norm Brodsky, talks about how taking vacations helped him and his business:
“It took time and determination to tear myself away from the business on a regular basis. The more time I took, the better I felt, and the more I appreciated just why vacations – real vacations, on which you clear your mind and don’t think about business at all – are so important. I would come back from one feeling rejuvenated and able to take a fresh, uncluttered view of the business. I could see issues and problems with a clarity I hadn’t had before. It was obvious to me that I was a bigger asset to the company on my return than I had been when I left.
As a result, my thinking changed. I would hear people saying, ‘I haven’t taken a vacation in five years,’ as if it were a badge of courage. I might once have agreed. Indeed, I might have said it myself. Now, increasingly, I saw it as a badge of stupidity. Though people liked to portray themselves as making sacrifices for their business, they weren’t, in fact, helping anybody by not taking vacations.”
It’s important to remember that there’s a big difference between working hard and working well and effectively. Often, when people spend long hours at work or at their desk, they see it as an indication that they are working well. In fact, many of them need to spend so much time because they are unfocused and scattered, so the work takes longer to complete.
When was the last time you took a real break?
For more on this topic, see Why is it so Hard to Take a Vacation?
Dear Deb,
I work on a very part time and intermittent basis, so in a sense when I work I am taking a vacation from my everyday life! However, as a family we only go out of town very rarely. Our last trip was to Boston in 2006, and before that it was a long weekend in Philadelphia back in 2001.
I don’t find it hard to take breaks, but we do have a shortage of funds for really getting away. However, we have found staycations in New York City to be fun in their own right.
Celeste,
As you point out, a vacation doesn’t have to mean going out of town or out of the country – it’s about doing something that involves a step back and away with time for reflection and rejuvenation.
As someone who works from home and doesn’t have a predictable income, I understand the difficulty of getting away physically. For me, getting away from routine and concentrating on being fully present in the moment is just as essential.
Thanks.
Deb
Hello Deb,
I so agree with you about taking a vacation. I live in Detroit where it is very cold with alot of snow in the winter. I find that as I have gotten older I like winter less and less and that it takes a toll on me. I am not in a position to move to a warmer climate at this time of my life since I have a job and we all know that jobs are very hard to come by now. I have found that taking a vacation to a warmer climate during the winter really helps with the winter blues. Just being in the sun, seeing green grass and flowers and being able to take off some of the layers of clothes that I wear on a daily basis is very rejuvenating and makes it easier to cope with the winter season. I find my head is clearer when I return and I am more focused at work. I am a more effective and efficient employee. I am leaving for Florida tomorrow and really looking forward to this trip.
Stephanie,
I wish you a relaxing, rejuvenating, and refreshing trip!
It’s interesting because much as I dislike the cold, there is also something magical about being surrounded by freshly falling and fallen snow – being able to look at the wonder of each individual flake, seeing the beauty of snow covered trees, and listening to the special silence snow creates.
Have a wondrous time in the sun.
Deb
Hey Deb,
Long time no see.
I like this post. ‘Work hard vs. work well’ is a concept I’ll remember. Thanks for that!
Emilio
Thanks Emilio.
Great to hear from you.
Deb