Time Off

The website promises romance, adventure, a rock-bound coast, and soaring granite cliffs. There will be stonewall-lined and tree-covered roads leading to the village, sweeping vistas from atop Cadillac Mountain, and a special mystique associated with the area. Since I have never been to Bar Harbor, Maine, I can only hope the experience will match these enticing descriptions. Perhaps my cynicism shows in that previous sentence, but I know how hard it usually is to actually enjoy time off from work.

My wife and I will already be settled into our cottage for rest and relaxation when this blog is posted on July 15. My struggles with time off stem largely from lifelong workaholic tendencies. I’m surely not the only leader whose self-esteem is tied closely to work. It’s a battle I constantly wage with mixed results. So what will I do on this trip to break away from the daily routines of business?

I will begin by abandoning my social media apps for the entire trip. No LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. This isn’t the first time I have tried this tactic and my previous success during last year’s vacation has convinced me it can be done. Any photos or comments about the trip will need to wait. This might actually be harder on my friends and colleagues.

I’m also limiting email access to twice a day (provided I have service at all). You might wonder why I don’t give this up as well but I have learned it makes sense to check messages every day. That doesn’t mean I will be responding to requests; my clients already know I won’t be doing that. Instead, for a few minutes each day I will be managing my workload in anticipation of that first day back on the job.

Finally, I hope to plan activities that serve as genuine distractions from my typical business day. Things like reading for fun, hiking, shopping, and day trips so my mind can disconnect from its usual routines. Perhaps this will be the most difficult feat to accomplish because I’m sure I will see reminders of work experiences every day and those email reviews will likely trigger work-related thoughts. I’m counting heavily on the change of scenery to help with this.

The need for time off is obvious. We are all working more hours and doing more things. If you are a leader who can’t seem to disconnect perhaps my ideas will help. I’m reasonably confident this vacation trip will serve its purpose as an opportunity to refresh and reflect. The Bar Harbor website promises fond lifetime memories. My successful implementation of these three strategies while I’m vacationing there will hopefully be one of them.