Something to Look forward to - the Value of Vacation

My wife always says, “Without vacation, I have nothing to look forward to.” I see her point and it definitely becomes a great motivator. In the spirit of Zig Ziglar and being motivated – I am always amazed how much I get done immediately before and after a vacation. It’s almost cliché to say - enjoy your vacation and make sure to disconnect - when in reality most of us do not totally disconnect or take advantage of paid time off. When it comes to actually taking vacation (or as our European friends call it?“holiday”), US workers, tend to take less vacation than our international counterparts. This is true despite the fact that US workers seem to recognize the importance of taking vacation.?This outlook and trend is highlighted in Expedia's annual survey-based study that looks at vacation use across countries and current trends with the aim of projecting future trends. It's not looking good friends and I fear that many people will put off vacation during our global pandemic. In the sense that they are mindful of public health and not traveling internationally or to "hot spots;" I am thankful. On the other hand, you still need your time off to recharge, which might means a staycation or traveling domestically with appropriate constraints.

Personally, I average taking 15 vacation days per year. Even though my organization has a flexible PTO policy I find that I am accustomed to taking that time off during the year based on prior policies. Also, there is a lot of important work to get done. Generally, my vacation is a week in March, a week in July, and the week before the Christmas holiday to take advantage of an extended break. While this is not universal every year since some years have been different due to life and professional events.

Here are several ways that I have?found?to optimize vacation and truly shut off include:

• Develop a work plan for essential functions
• Create?redundancy?in work processes to mitigate gaps
• Communicate ahead of time with key stakeholders
• Setup an out of office reply with who to respond to with questions
• Block the time well in advance to ensure key meetings are not scheduled during these times
• Understand when your team, supervisor, and internal stakeholders are taking time off to determine business impact (NOTE: Personally, I like to take time off when my supervisor is also away because I feel less pressure to respond to questions during vacation)
• Plan your PTO at the beginning of the year and put in your calendar
• Even if you do not have the budget for an extravagant vacation still take the time and focus on a hobby or spending quality time with family
• Come to terms with your ego and recognize that while you are important the business will continue to run while you are away even if you are the CEO (NOTE: this is true if as a leader you have responsibly delegated and empowered your team)

Some of the immediate work benefits that I feel after vacation:

• New and fresh perspective on strategic projects
• Renewed energy and passion about work
• Increased?productivity?and focus
• More patience and better?attitude?with colleagues
• Feel more in control

Some of the immediate personal benefits that I feel after vacation:

• Better overall wellness (ample sleep, better diet, etc.)
• Different outlook on life and priorities
• Less tense and agitated in personal relationships
• Change of scenery increased my overall happiness

Recently, we took some time away on Martha’s Vineyard and enjoyed time as a family. During this time, I was able to read four books (Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis, Stillness?is the Key by Ryan Holiday The Great Influenza by John Barry and This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolf), spent 5 days at the beach with my son and wife, took an amazing photo shoot on?the beach, ate ridiculously good seafood, had ice cream at least 5 times, and made memories that will last a lifetime.?Initially, I was reluctant for a variety of reasons. First, we were not traveling far from home due to COVID concerns. Second, a domestic US beach vacation was not high on my list. Finally, we (like all of us) were limited due to the pandemic and almost did not want the added stress of personal travel. Those would have been ridiculous reasons not to escape. As my wife astutely observed, we always begin our travel planning during our vacation because we recognize how it brings our family together, makes us better humans, and allows us to enjoy our work so much more. Next trips are Nantucket (couples weekend), Kennebunk (Sandy Pines Glamping with the family) and Aruba (family trip with friends from Chicago...pandemic pending) I hope to see you there or wherever your vacation plans take you!