| on our competitive
advantage. We have agreed to climb the ladder of corporate America,
and there is no way that we’ll let a vacation knock us off our
hard-won ladder rung. Also, we tend to hold positions of power, influence,
and esteem, and with these positions come great responsibility. So
much responsibility, in fact, that we don’t know what to let
go of, defer, or delay so that we can take some much needed time away.
Tarun is an attorney who just started his
own legal firm. He works more than 70 hours per week, providing
legal services and managing all the sales and marketing for the
firm. He constantly monitors his cash flow and has had many sleepless
nights over the past few months. He can’t even conceive of
a few hours of relaxation, much less a week—even though he
admits that the time off may do him good. While hard work and perseverance
are important, they are not the only predictors of success. We tend
to believe that more effort is always better. This is not always
the case.
If someone like Tarun wanted to take a vacation, there are several
steps he could follow to make this easier.
Tarun would have to realize that success does not always follow
the amount of time he spends working on something. He would then
need to build structures or systems to allow himself to take a few
days off effectively. In his case, Tarun would need to manage his
workflow and meet all his deadlines prior to leaving. He’d
need to put some of his marketing and sales systems on autopilot,
and find a balance between going away and staying connected. Tarun
would also need to communicate, clarify, and be consistent.
Even if you don’t have a business, you can use communication,
clarification, and consistency to aid you in taking a truly relaxing
vacation.
Communication: Inform everyone who should know
about your vacation plans. Do this at least a month ahead of time,
and remind them again at two weeks prior. If you report to someone
else, find out what their expectations are for what you will have
completed before you leave. If you’re the boss, communicate
clearly about what you expect before you leave, and what you expect
your employees to do while you are away. Also communicate whether
you will be available for emergencies or not and designate a chain
of command if someone else will be in charge while you are away.
Clarification: About two weeks before you leave,
remind everyone that you will be leaving and clarify once again
how projects should proceed in your absence. Begin to tie up any
loose ends and wrap up your outstanding work so you can leave with
a clear conscience.
Consistency: You must be consistent about what
you say and what you do. If you say you’ll be off email totally
for the whole week, do it. If you say that you’ll be reachable
by cell, make sure your vacation destination has cell phone coverage.
Your coworkers or employees will respond best to your consistency.
It’s normal to feel some anxiety or tension
when you’re going on vacation. You may feel worried about
how work will run in your absence; you may be worried about losing
your status or position of influence. You might even be worried
because you’re not sure how to relax. All of these feelings
are normal.
Another good strategy is to plan your vacation with an extra day
or two added to the end. Plan to return home and have one or two
days remaining so you can gently ease back into working. Use this
day to sleep late, catch a movie, and maybe start to tackle all
those life errands that piled up while you were away. Giving yourself
this extra time can help you get back to work while maintaining
your newfound relaxed approach.
Remember, no matter how strange it might feel, taking a vacation
is another facet of living a well-rounded and happy life. Regularly
scheduled (and taken) vacations can actually make you happier and
more productive at work. They also can fill out your life, making
you a more interesting and well-rounded person. Sounds like a good
deal, doesn’t it?
Dr. Rachna D. Jain is a licensed psychologist and professional coach who is regularly quoted in the national media. Based in the Washington DC metro area, Rachna can be reached online at http://www.rachnajain.com.
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