This is the time of year that my husband and I usually take our annual vacation. We like it because it coincides with our anniversary and his birthday, most of our colleagues are in the office and able to cover for us because they took their vacations over the summer, and travel costs are usually a little cheaper.
This year, we are not taking a vacation. Because COVID, because we both started new jobs recently, because our newest dog has only been out of her heartworm treatment quarantine for a month, plus some other reasons, both legitimate and made up, to make us feel better.
But MAN. I’d love a vacation. I haven’t left Durham for leisure since I was lucky enough to escape with Hawaii with my mom the first week of March (talk about good timing!). I did manage to take a long weekend before starting my new job, but I wouldn’t call it a vacation.
I’ve written about the Recomendo newsletter before. It recently featured the recommendation of the book Time Off by business coach John Fitch and AI researcher Max Frenzel. In the newsletter, the recommender (Kevin Kelly) wrote,
The premise of this book…is that you can’t maintain a great work ethic without having a great “rest ethic.” You have to take time off, vacation, go on sabbatical, pause, rest, sleep, slack, play, and goof off in order to be and do your best.
Time off is not only essential to a good life, it is something you can get better at.
I can get better at taking time off?! I bought it immediately. Perhaps it will be my next book review!
…that is, after I get back from vacation.
Ohhhh my, how wonderful that you were able to get to Hawaii before things changed.
My mentor suggested that every 90 days of goal working. I should take 48 hours off. I am going to do it.
I was grateful to be in Hawaii anyway, but thinking back, it really made staying home MUCH more bearable. Though it has admittedly worn off by now! I think that 90-day rule is excellent.