Time Off for Good Behavior

One of the many things I love about living in Wheaton is that around this time, you can see signs up in some of the downtown businesses:  "Gone Fishin'."  The first time I saw that, I thought I'd been transported in a time machine back to a black-and-white rerun of "Andy of Mayberry."  But now that I've lived in Wheaton nearly 17 years, I'm used to seeing those signs that say the owners are closed for vacation.

Ahhh, vacations.  The time to "vacate."  Unfortunately, as Americans, we don't "do" vacations very well.  A story in Forbes magazine cited a study done by Right Management, a human resources consulting firm that's a division of ManpowerGroup.  The study reported that a whopping 66% of employees surveyed did not use all of their vacation time last year.  Fear of layoffs, higher workloads and a sense of paranoia about being gone from the office when unemployment is still hovering at 9% all contribute to an employee's decision to work instead of play.

But that's a really bad idea, according to the career experts and therapists in the article.  Vacations are important to our mental health, giving us a sense of control over our environment and especially over our time.  We get distance from the work that tends to consume us and, depending on the type of vacation we take, we may experience a new country or culture that turns our habits, and our thinking, upside down.  And that's a great way to stimulate new ideas, creativity and innovation.

For entrepreneurs, the RX is the same: take some time off.  A recent story in the Wall Street Journal called "Time Off is No Option" by Sarah Needleman says that for people running a business, deviating from our normal routines is an opportunity to get a fresh vantage point.  Vacations also can often lead to serendipitous networking opportunities, according to a small-business consultant interviewed by Ms. Needleman.  Using technology to manage business from afar and setting client expectations were cited as ways to pull off getting some time away without losing too much traction.

As a career coach, I have very few "rules" for my clients.  One of them is to take advantage of every benefit offered by your company, including every single minute of your vacation time if that's part of your employment package.  Vacations are a critical part of maintaining your health and well-being.  You'll come back with a fresh perspective, rejuvenated and ready for work.  

Besides, you've earned it.

Vickie Austin is a business & career coach based in Wheaton, IL.  She believes in vacations but she's working this week, so feel free to email her at vaustin@choicesworldwide.