You’re Overdue #35
I’m preparing for another trip, one which includes a keynote in Hawaii (!! Read excitement here, most of my speaking and training destinations are not quite on the same scale as this one – think Sandusky, Ohio – no offense Sandusky friends), and this trip is flanked by time off and vacation on either side of my one day of work. It’s a great gig when it happens this way, which isn’t often.
I’ll be traveling with my love and family, so there’s all the excitement of going somewhere new with people I love paired with the push to be able to leave unscathed. You know the drill, work longer hours, buttoning up every possible detail at home and work, ensure your family is covered, the pets are cared for, the food is cleared in the fridge, your mail is handled and so on…oh, and the work part. This is where it can feel like leaving for vacation is just too much work so why do it.
NO! This is time for you. Vacation is a necessary thing for GREAT leaders. Yess, I said necessary (in fact, more is better on this one).
Without time away, you begin to grind yourself into a hole, losing perspective while providing less value. Vacation is the gas in your gas tank, it’s your rejuvenation from being mired in all there is to do. New sights, sounds, smells, tastes and experiences. Without them, you’ll get more of the same and that won’t help you or your business grow.
For many entrepreneurs, they love what they do so much, they turn it into a chore. And that’s no good. I know I’m advocating something that most of us readily accept as a wonderful thing. If you’re wondering why anyone would need to be talked into taking time off, you’re not the one who needs this article. The one who does is the person who can’t leave, won’t leave unless they must and it’s for work when they do. It’s like driving your car with a low or flat tire. It will still function, albeit clunky, but if you don’t stop to fill or fix the tire, you’ll have a blowout.
If this is resonating with you, pull over and fix the tire. You’re overdue.
