Leave quickly and quietly and no one will get hurt…
Vacation and rest in general have become a bit of a foreign concept to me in the six years as a business owner and far more absent over the past 3 months as I have been consumed with a recent project. Yesterday was Saturday, and as I was still in bed at nearly noon, I knew I was avoiding the responsibility of getting up and getting to the required tasks at hand: cutting the grass, washing clothes, and taking care of a host of overdue e-mails…did I mention the fact that the limbs that fell during the ice storm were still exactly where they landed? Laying there, refusing to roll out of bed, I was talking with a dear friend in Texas about my guilt and near depression over my “laziness.” He kindly reminded me of my insane working hours lately and that it was OK. Then, he asked just one simple question…”do you feel rest is productive?”
OUCH! OK, got to go now, been nice talking to you! No, of course that was not my response, but that one simple question has given me pause over the past 36 hours to re-evaluate what has become a “four-letter word”…R-E-S-T. Here are just some of the questions that plagued me during my obligatory work [I’m not so sure cutting grass is considered “rest,” but it is a great time to think and reflect…be still if you will]:
- When did I come to believe that I had to be busy 24/7?
- Why can’t I stop and “smell the roses?”
- How does one rest?
- Will I still get all my “tasks” completed if I work less than 24/7?
- When’s the next “YA” meeting…that’s “Yes’s anonymous”…for those of us who need help in learning to say that very short word “NO” on occasion.
So, let’s go back and spend a bit of time on that penetrating question asked of me…”Is rest productive?” After some thought and tucking my tail between my legs, my answer was “of course!” If that was my belief, why is it such an emphatic answer and why couldn’t I adhere to this information I knew to be truth? Vacation, Rest, Relaxation, and Recuperation – all are synonymous words. Yet, we business owners have a hard time packing it into our overly busy schedules. I can tell you I don’t remember a “vacation” when I’ve not gone with laptop and cell phone in toe. Grant it, I’m not on them close to the amount of time that I am when not on “vacation” but they are a necessity…right? I would venture to guess that I like many of you are in the same boat… it’s not a cruise liner, but often feels like the sinking Titanic. I am the business owner; I HAVE to be in touch with my clients. I have to be available if something goes wrong. I NEED my phone, e-mail, Internet, PDA, and whatever other lies we have come to believe.
What I discovered, or re-discovered, yesterday was that I need to re-define what a vacation is to me. One of the benefits of being a business owner is that you get to make your own schedule, right? So, my goal for the rest of this year is to be a better leader of myself and my schedule. I am going to plan for intentional rest and vacation, even if it is only taking half a day off to do something for me. Maybe it’s a long weekend. Maybe I do go on a week-long traditional vacation, but I will limit my e-mail/cell phone/Internet usage to one hour per day. That is primarily to stay on top of e-mails so that I don’t come back to 200+ in my Inbox and can’t see above sea level.
Why do YOU believe rest is productive? That’s an easy one to answer. I hope you agree. Our bodies and, more importantly, our minds need some down time. I do not pretend to understand the complexities of our brain, but what I DO know is that when we give it a break – a rest if you will – it works better. We are refreshed; we are more creative; we are easier with which to get along; we handle stress better; we are healthier; and we handle emotions more safely. These are just a mere few productive outcomes of rest. I do not believe you can be as effective of a leader without rest and vacations. You owe it to those you lead, as well as to yourself!
Vacations don’t have to be an extravagant trip to some exotic part of the world; however nice that may be. A vacation may be a drive to the country; a walk in the park; a movie; a theater show; laying in the hammock; a stay at a beach; or a bottle of wine and a good book in front of a fireplace. I found a great article on Google called “Brain, heal thyself,” [Monitor on Psychology by Lea Winerman] which states, “Recent studies have suggested that the brain, so active during the day, may use the downtime of sleep to repair damage caused by our busy metabolism, replenish dwindling energy stores and even grow new neurons.” Wow…repair damage to my brain cells?
OK, I got it! I WILL learn to rest. How about you? Do you want to offer some much-needed repair to your brain and to yourself? Join me on my vacation scheduling. Here’s my plan:
- Take one weekday off each month to do something I enjoy.
- Attend my niece’s high school graduation in Connecticut.
- See the Grand Canyon this summer.
- Enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
- Start “blogging.”
Last month, we talked about utilizing technology as a springboard for a one-on-one leadership development coaching opportunity with an employee or co-worker…how did it go? What did you learn about your employee – will you share it with me? This month, I challenge you again; I’m going to be easy on you…only one challenge:
Plan your own vacations – let’s shoot for one per quarter. We’re through the first quarter, so only three to go.
PS. My dear Texas friend also recommended to read Hebrews 4 and learn how to “rest in God”…thanks for nothing I told him later that evening (joking, of course!)…Hebrews 4 is talking about PERMANENT rest in God…DEATH! Thanks, but I’ll wait on that one for a bit.
