Are you on vacation to recharge? Or to clear annual leave?

What are the sneaky detours you take while you're on holiday?

Whether you're traveling with family, friends, or on your own, you want to make the most of your vacation.

As a leader, you always plan ahead. Yet there's always something you didn't plan and still find yourself doing.

If they bring you joy, that's great. What if they don't?

If they are about the trip, that's understandable. What if they aren't?

And how often do you find yourself doing any of these?

Checking your work inbox on the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel.
Watching TV on silent in the middle of the night because you can't sleep.
Texting a teammate to see how they're dealing with your manager while you're away.
Thinking about a work project on a beach chair facing the sea.
Asking your family or friends if they've been enjoying the food then going blank.
Reaching for your phone to see what's interesting online instead of being present.
Checking LinkedIn for potential openings. (maybe it's how you saw this article)

How many of these detours did you take on your last trip?

The more you find yourself doing, the less you can recharge and reset. Which is the main reason WHY you have a holiday.

However, if it's purely because you need to clear your annual leave, you may want to rethink your relationship with your job.

These aren't desirable activities for your holiday. Not for a break you very much needed, after months of hustling for your job.

If you do any of them, they're signs to check in with yourself:

What makes you want to check your inbox on holiday? Is it 100% urgent? If it's a habit, is it helping you enjoy the holiday?
When was the last time you had a good night's sleep? What made it possible?
Is the text coming from a caring perspective or a trust issue? What are you trying to control?
What makes your work project top of mind when you are relaxing? Feeling excited? Anxious? Or simply habitual?
When did you stop being curious about your family and friends? How will the relationship go if this continues?
What are you really looking for at that moment when picking up a phone? Checking the map? Watching entertaining content? Or a text message from your manager?
What are you actually worried about? Layoffs? Promotion? Prospects?

Your body is on vacation. But your heart is somewhere else.

I have taken these detours too. They didn't help.

Yet if you become more aware, you can use the information to make conscious decisions for your life.

The key is not to eliminate these completely but to avoid running on autopilot. Because that may take us to somewhere we don't want to be.

Next time you notice you're doing those detours, PAUSE. Ask yourself: Is this what I came here for?

Then decide what truly matters to you.

Hope this article inspires you. If it does, do share with others because

~ WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS ~

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