A Guide by Marguerite Orane
When Last Have You Given Yourself a Real Vacation?
Category: How-to Guides
This guide is for every leader who has ever said out loud or to themselves:
“I don’t have the time to take my vacation this year”
“I will take time off, but I’ll check in with my team every day and be available by email”
“I’ll just take a day or two at the end of my next business trip”
I regularly coach leaders like you on taking vacations as part of my JOY Leadership Coaching
Experience. This invariably arises about 3 or 4 sessions into our coaching program, when I sense that they are tired, overwhelmed and burnt out. I quietly and gently ask a simple question: “When last did you take a vacation” and that releases first a massive sigh, and then a litany of half-hearted, failed attempts at taking one, even ONE, vacation, that they really enjoyed. Typically, they go on leave and keep their phones and emails are called into virtual meetings, or have to cut short their time and return to work. I then coach them through the process of setting the intention for their vacation, preparing for it and then doing it.