Was the 4th of July holiday everything it could have been? Did you take Friday or Monday off and make it a three-day holiday? Or, as I have every year, did you work like Demetri Ravanos even though you were on a family vacation in a cabin? I am not proud that I have left weeks and days of earned vacation unused every year. And, no, it never was eligible to accrue from year to year or be paid in cash. I blew it.
Now, go back and look at how productive or unproductive you were last Friday or Monday. How did you spend your time? Did you need to be in work from home mode or at the office? If you didn’t get much done, maybe you should have done anything but work. One regret I have through my work life is not taking more time off. And I am not just saying I should have taken more one-week vacations to Hawaii. That’s not always financially possible. I mean a few days here or there. An afternoon or Friday off to enjoy a three-day weekend somewhere other than my home. Or spend a morning or afternoon with my wife or kids focusing on them and their interests. The guys at Harvard have it figured out. Read how to get the most out of vacation. I wish I had. Here are some things to consider right now.
Ben Franklin was right
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Make sure next year, around December, you look out at the annual calendar and make your vacation plans. Committing will organize your work and personal life a lot better. You also will have reservations for hotels, flights, whatever. Planning vacation is like writing copy; it’s easier to edit than create. And it’s not too late to look over the rest of the year right now. Make a different plan for the last summer weekend of the year, Labor Day. Or why not spend Veterans Day on 11/11 by visiting a veterans’ home or military hospital? Why not plan to take a drive this thanksgiving and see a friend or relative you have not connected with since COVID? Did you know Christmas eve is on a Thursday this year? Take it off! Same with new years eve. Why spend the last day of the year working on a Friday when you could create a special day with your family or partner going to a local hotel for a day of fun and then New Year’s Eve celebration. And, if there is one week I usually did take off correctly, it was the week between Christmas and New Year. If you can swing it, do it. You can do your annual planning somewhere other than the office, and you will struggle to make presentations that week anyway.
Go Longer
Leaving for a vacation takes something out of you. Getting to a getaway spot can also be taxing. Let’s figure at least two days of travel, stress, and decompression. Then, if you are like me, I always traveled back home two days before I had to be at work and took that last day to get organized. That’s four days of a 7-day vacation filled with anything but Mai Tais and margaritas. On your next one week off, take six vacation days off and travel on a Friday and return on a Saturday. That will give you a good Sunday-Friday break of no stress. The best days of vacation are the days when you know you have more days of vacation left.
Getaway
If at all possible, get away from making any decisions at home. Go to a hotel or wherever else if possible. Especially with all the work from home time we have logged, get out of the house.
Delegate!
Just have another sales rep do anything you would need to do. Tell all your clients that need to know. Please put it on your voice mail. And stop looking at your phone. It took me 30 years to realize that calling and emailing clients while on vacation was work!
If you spend time on yourself and your loved ones, you will never regret it. My dad worked seven days a week, 12 months a year, and NEVER TOOK VACATION. When he was dying, he regretted working so much and said he should have spent more time with his family. Take some time off and live it up.
Jeff Caves is a sales columnist for BSM working in radio and digital sales for Cumulus Media in Dallas, Texas and Boise, Idaho. He is credited with helping launch, build, and develop Sports Radio The Ticket in Boise, into the market’s top sports radio station. During his 26 year stay at KTIK, Caves hosted drive time, programmed the station, and excelled as a top seller. You can reach him by email at jeffcaves54@gmail.com or find him on LinkedIn.
