Help! How Do I Deal with the Post Trip Work Load (And Blues?)
Last week, seven members of the Women's Leadership Academy were on a two-day immersive in Paris. We learned the story of Coco Chanel and the introduction of women's workwear. We learned why women artists' works in the 1860s didn't make the collectors and curators' circuits. Where the rubber hits the road for me is in the moderated conversations afterwards. What about these womens' stories resonate? What lessons did we learn from their stories? What can be transposed into our own work and personal lives?
Now, we are back on terra firma. A wall of work is facing us, made even more Everest-like by the few days away. On this morning's peer mentoring call, the question was asked "How do I deal with the workload and overwhelm upon returning from a trip?"
Tip 1. Make a list of 3. Show yourself some compassion and grace. You 100% deserve to take time away. List three personal items and three professional items that need to get done the next day. Our human brains love lists in 3's. Your brain will invoke a sense of accomplishment when you cross all three off the list, versus the 'Zegarnik effect.' This sense of 'failure' kicks in when you make a list larger than 3. The brain tends to remember the incomplete tasks versus the completed ones.
Tip 2. Plan ahead. Inevitably, kids or spouses are asking, 'You have been away. When are you going to spend time with me?' Plan something fun and exciting with a date, time and activity BEFORE you leave for the trip. This way, the kids/spouse/friend knows they are accounted for and will get your undivided attention on __________. There is tremendous power in the ANTICIPATION of the event. This buoys the little ones. But remember to be present.
Tip 3. Write yourself a letter. I'm susceptible to the 'post trip blues.' I spend so much time planning and plotting these immersive trips. In a blink of an eye, it's over. I wrote myself a letter during the trip, capturing a feeling I had, standing on the edge of the Seine River by city lights at night. I journaled, 'What surprised me on the trip' (How unbelievably kind all of the staff was at the 5 events I hosted). I journaled about 'What I learned about planning trips for groups' (Plan events, but give folks plenty of free time to roam and discover too). I journaled 'What I learned about myself' (Excellence is an important value for me and that transcends to my events)
The next immersive dinner is in Boston May 5th. It's a Mastermind dinner with 8 senior women leaders. We will be doing some mini problem solving at the table. Two spots are open. Sign up here.
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