Vacations Should Be Mandatory
I’ve always felt that vacations should be mandatory. Everyone needs some time away from
work to recharge and reflect. There should be moments when it is about having fun and enjoying life without the constraints of the work week. You never want to define yourself solely by what you do for a living. We are all so much more than that.
Time Away Brings Perspective
I am fortunate to genuinely enjoy my work and the people I work with. I
do look forward to the weekends, especially the increased time with my children, but I am never bummed out on Monday mornings. I even need some time away from work every now and then. When I am away for a bit, I appreciate what I have even more. I can also step away from the “busyness” of my typical week and think about things from a different perspective. If you always have your head down moving forward, getting stuck in a rut and/or operating on autopilot is too easy.
Work is only a part of life.
Work Is Only Part of Life
It is not the reason we live. I’ve seen people give up decades of their lives to their job, taking minimal or no vacations. Being a workaholic takes a toll on them and those around them. I’ve had many conversations with people like this who finally reach a point where they wonder what happened and why their life has become so one-dimensional. Sadly, they have also usually adversely affected the important relationships in their life (often beyond the point of repair).
Vacations Create Lasting Memories
Some of my happiest memories from childhood relate to
family vacations. I imagine many of you reading this feel the same way. A certain level of family bonding occurs when you are away together, which is difficult to duplicate in our typical daily routine. Part of being a parent (and spouse) is creating experiences that our loved ones will cherish forever. It’s one of the few things we do that is all about having fun with loved ones. Of course, we shouldn’t wait for vacations for this to happen, but it is one of the rare times when we have so much concentrated, uninterrupted time together.
Vacations matter! I hope you have taken or will be taking a nice vacation this summer. Don’t try to squeeze in too much activity; instead,
focus on downtime and being present with the people you care about. Allow yourself the opportunity for spontaneous fun. Work will be there when you get back.
