Deep Breaths - Finding Room and Time to Breathe

One of the best parts about becoming the boss is having total control of my calendar and schedule. While I have had “unlimited PTO for nearly a decade,” having a boss means that “unlimited” is relative. And it still will be when I have clients and colleagues to answer to BUT it is a nice change to have the flexibility and freedom to say, “I am out of the office - we can certainly meet when I get back!”

Research says that unlimited time off is actually really bad for company culture because people take less time off and feel like they can never truly unplug. It is a backwards way of thinking that I try very hard to coach people out of. The reason we work is not so we can have days off. If this were the case, when you asked someone about their favorite memory of the past year they would talk about that meeting when Gary announced that he landed another big client and not the trip they took with their partner to drive through the mountains or their week long beach vacation where they read 12 books. Think about vision boards - people don’t typically post pictures of pivot tables and calendars full of appointments but they do post pictures of relaxing locations, retreats and destinations they want to visit.

Time off is something I have had to work very hard to learn how to appreciate. Especially as I prepare to own my company, I have had to learn to set better boundaries for time that is mine. I used to require a trip to far off time zones or remote locations with no internet to trick myself into not checking my email (who doesn’t love a good cruise ship!?!) but lately (thanks to COVID-19) those kinds of trips haven’t really been possible. It is nice to have had to learn that time off is not necessarily for you to escape and hide from work and email but a place for you to embrace not working.

What is it like to not work? Well, it allows for more creativity, gentleness with self, kindness towards others and a recharging of your mental energy. Just taking one extra day for the weekend *can* lead to a more productive work week and greater fulfillment in your work. There are OBVIOUS exceptions. One important thing to remember is that you have to work with your team (do NOT leave them in a lurch) and your boss to ensure the time off is happening at the right time for all involved. This is why I recommend planning in advance (at least one quarter). Additionally, you have to prepare yourself. Before you leave, take care of anything you can so you aren’t putting off things that will just be annoyingly waiting for you upon your return. You also need to communicate with anyone in your organization (including clients) that might be impacted by your absence. A simple reminder email is fine. Then comes the hardest part - you have to stay “out of the office” meaning you cannot check your messages, “send a quick note,” “return this one phone call.” It will send mixed messages and will confuse your mind and body. It is critical that you just take time to breathe and enjoy your life away from your work.

Why should you? Well, you do not have to believe me check out this blog post with links to research by Darious Foroux or this article from SHRM.

There are lots of results from a quick google search so now you just need to convince yourself. If you need help shifting this mindset (or another that may be blocking you), feel free to reach out to me at rachel@leadthinkdo.com or schedule an appointment.