It’s vacation season. K-12 schools all over the country typically give the students a week off in mid-April. I am well past those years. But I admit to having a picture of a pristine white beach tacked on my memo board for inspiration and I find myself looking at it on particularly hectic days.
Plenty of my employees are planning an actual spring getaway this year. That got me thinking about, well, you.
If you’re like many professionals, you might be preparing for a week off right about now with your children or grandkids. And, if you are, you will likely fall into one of two groups:
In one group are the people who take that vacation simply to get away from their job, the worries of the office, the unsolved problems, unmet revenue numbers, the nagging boss and co-workers whose cars you happily waved goodbye to on the last day before you took off for Margaritaville where one can truly feel oneself.
In this group you will also find the people who are dreading going back to work and can’t wait until it’s time to plan the next vacation.
Are you in this group?
Or are you in a different group, the one made up of people who, yes, enjoy the time to unwind and recharge but really love the work and are excited about the job they will be returning to when the time away is over?
If you’re not in the second group, you probably should ask yourself “Why not?” What do you think is going on there? What does the job you have really mean to you? Is it a place that’s all grind? Are there meaningful payoffs beyond a decent salary – like growth, connections and fulfillment? Are you truly yourself at work?
Vacations are important business. Time off from work is integral to wellbeing. But when you’re going on vacation to escape your job and you find yourself dealing with the blues when spring recess ends, then consider the possibility that you’re ready for something different. What I like to call your Next Great Next. It’s the next role and set of challenges you take on, with all the zest, excitement and passion it requires, a role you can’t wait to get back to after you take a week off in April.
How’s that sound? And by the way, that ideal role is out there, waiting for you.
