Why You Deserve to Take an Epic Vacation This Year

Why You Deserve to Take an Epic Vacation This Year

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Are you taking a vacation this year?

If you aren’t sure if you’re going to take a vacation this year, I’m here to give you a new year pep talk that’s going to help you make the decision to make a vacation happen.

There are 366 days this year. Assuming that you get the standard ten paid holidays and you use the 104 weekend days for yourself rather than working, that leaves 252 working days.

Now imagine yourself trudging through your normal daily routine every single day for 252 days.

Imagine 252 days of waking up early, getting dressed for work, sitting in traffic, sitting through meetings, cranking away at deliverables, eating lunch at your desk, participating in conference calls, and staring at the same bleak gray cubicle walls.

Imagine 252 days of the same daily routine only to reach December 31st, 2020 and repeat it all over again in 2021.

How does that make you feel? Super motivated right? I’m gonna go ahead and bet a no on that.

The “Reasons” You Can’t Take a Vacation Aren’t True

By refusing to allow yourself to take an extended break from your career (aka a vacation) you’re actually hurting yourself more than helping yourself. It’s so easy for our brains to come up with reasons why we can’t or shouldn’t take a break, so I want to debunk some of the reasons that we tell ourselves we can’t take a vacation.

Reason #1: It’s not worth it because I’ll come home to a bigger workload than when I left.

If you believe the above reason to be true for you, I can tell you from experience that the opposite is actually the case! I worked really hard over the past couple of years at shifting my work-life balance at my day job, and the first step I took was to be known as someone who takes regular vacations every single year. When you’re known as that person, it doesn’t come as a shock or a surprise to your boss or colleagues when you take one, and if they aren’t surprised by you taking a vacation, your workload doesn’t pile up excessively while you are gone just because you are out of the office.

I learned that I have to train and condition my colleagues and clients at least one month in advance to help them plan ahead for my absence. My boss used to joke that the company would burn to the ground while I’m on vacation (and I fully expected this to be true as well), but when I do a good job at preparing him and my colleagues for my absence, they get on just fine without me there.

Nowadays, coming back from vacation is quite pleasant for me. Do I have a full inbox? Sure. But are they urgent emails from colleagues or clients expecting something from me while I was out? Never! I’m able to slowly ease back into work instead of falling back into the stress and overwhelm of the daily grind.

Reason #2: I can’t afford to take any time off because I’m too busy.

If you feel like you’re too busy to take a break, you will actually continue to get busier. Annoying how that works, right? The reason is because your boss, colleagues, and clients grow increasingly attached and reliant on you, because they expect you to be constantly be available for them. You deciding to take a vacation can be a gentle reminder to them that you have a personal life too.

Feeling “busy” is really a perception, too. When you are stressed, overwhelmed, and on the verge of a burnout, it can be really easy to let the “busy” feeling blind you. A vacation refresh can give you a objective perspective on your workload and allow you to work more efficiently and produce higher quality work.

Reason #3: The project will fail without me.

Have you ever thought about what would happen to the project or company if you quit? There’s no denying that you’re a key employee with skills and knowledge that no one else has, but the reality is that the company will figure it out because they have to. If you feel like the project or company will fail without your constant attention, some knowledge sharing is probably a good idea.

These reasons are indicators of a larger imbalance between your work and personal life, but if you can take the first step in making a point to take 1 – 2 vacations every year and start to become known as the person who takes regular vacations, that will get you headed in the right direction with your work-life balance.

Reasons Why You Deserve a Vacation This Year

Reason #1: You are showing up and devoting your amazing abilities to your career for 68% of your days this year.

You’re getting up, showing up, and owning it at your career. The best way to continue crushing it is to allow yourself to take a break! We flat out don’t function at our best when we aren’t given a chance to recharge, and it’s amazing how temporarily getting away from your normal daily routine can make you all bright, shiny, and new again.

Reason #2 – Your employer says so!

Your employer is literally paying you to take a vacation (or two or three) every year as a way of saying “Take a break. You deserve it.” Your boss or colleagues may not be genuinely excited for you to take a vacation, but don’t let that be a reason (or excuse!) why you shouldn’t take one. Assuming that your company gives you paid vacation days, you would be literally paying your employer part of your salary and harming your sanity at the same time if you don’t take a vacation.

Reason #3: Why the hell not?

It’s a new decade and this is your one life. We already devote so much of our time to our career, so we can’t let our career keep us from taking a couple of weeks off every year for a vacation. To give you some perspective, even if you take 10 days off this year, you will still be spending 66% of your days at your career. It’s time to take control of your happiness and spend more time having experiences that bring you happiness!

I Want You to Take An Epic Vacation in 2020

I have a challenge for you. I want you to decide when & where you’re taking a vacation in 2020 by the end of January. If you want help figuring out where and when you should go on vacation this year, I offer free consultations where I do personalized destination matching based on your vacation expectations and travel style.

If you take my challenge and email me by January 31, 2020, I will give you a special 50% promo discount off any of my exclusive 1-on-1 vacation planning services and help you make the vacation happen!