Quiet time and being able to relax is amazing. The peace and quiet of having time off work allows us to reset and recharge. It gives us time to think, time to catch up, time to be a participant in our life not merely and observer. Time with family and friends reminds us what is important and meaningful for our lives. It puts things into perspective and realigns who we are with who we want to be.
The challenge comes when you know the people, the work, the busy-ness and the to do items are out there waiting for you to get back to your normal routine. You can see them in the distance and know that you will eventually head back that direction. You know the world you created exists and is expecting you back sooner then you might desire. That means laundry, to do items, mail, email, notes to read and write and life things to get back to; it can almost seem like getting away is not worth the effort when you come back to the big piles of life you find waiting. I had an executive tell me that taking time off was not worth the hassle, so he never did it anymore. He works through all his days off simply to keep his work life going. To him it is easier than trying to catch up.
The other side of that story is that his family does not know him, and he no longer knows his family, his employees feel the pressure to always work because he always works, and he is experiencing serious health issues as he never relaxes or unwinds. None of his team want to take his job because they do not want to live the way he lives, and the impression is that the job requires full time commitment. He was worked himself into a corner and now wants out. He does not like the life he has created and in his mid fifties he finds himself stuck, unhealthy, distant and stressed to the point of breaking.
He asked for my advice. I encouraged him to take one day off in the next month and NOT work, to see what would happen. Tell his team, tell his family, tell those who needed to know that he would be unavailable for one full day. If the world stopped revolving around the sun because he did not check email – well, I think we would all know. If he could not work or for one day, then try two. Then try a week away from the office. There was not only work to stop doing he had to repair the relationships he had neglected and forgotten for years. Stopping and starting would provide him plenty for his time off.
Managing your world means handling all the aspects – family, work, finances, communication, relationships, expectations, to do items. It means prioritizing what you want with what is expected without sacrificing yourself or your family along the way. The world will be there when you get back. The to do items and the ‘stuff’ will be there, patiently waiting for you to resume your normal routine. Enjoy the time off and be the person you want to be without email or bills or work. It is who we are in the quiet days of life that matter. It is the relationships we have built and the lives we have impacted that will last beyond the information in your inbox. After the quiet the world will be waiting, so enjoy the quiet while it is here.
Ann Art Gallery Blog 