Taking vacations are an important part of life and especially of our working life.
When we spend all our time doing nothing but working, we miss out on the random connections that can help us create innovative solutions.
Most “genious” solutions come from a kind of cross-pollenation (so to speak). They come from arenas that have nothing to do with the work at hand. Like the scientist who gets a brilliant new idea while working in the garden, or the writer who finds inspiration watching his grandchildren play.
If you are spending too much time at work, you generally become stale. You miss out on those new perspectives that doing something different can bring you, and you certainly become more narrowly focused.
Now, taking a vacation means different things to different people. My husband and I are getting ready for 5 weeks in New Zealand (after only one vacation in 15 years!!!), and he told our travel agent that he’d rather hang out in the pub with the locals than to sit in the hotel lobby with a bunch of tourists.
A good friend of mine, however, would rather spend her time in the museums than with “a bunch of strangers”. She has no interest in meeting people on her vacation.Â
Now, isn’t it interesting that for me, part of the pleasure is in getting to know the people in an area – getting a flavor of what it’s like to live there. And for her, she wants as little contact with the locals as possible.
Everyone’s different. And what refreshes one person is a drag to another.
For instance, I could never just lie on the beach in the sun. I have to read a book, go swimming or snorkeling, or SOMETHING. I would be bored stiff and probably fall asleep if I didn’t have some other engaging activity going on.
So, the moral? Find something that refreshes you. It doesn’t have to be a full blown vacation, but it does have to be something that takes you away from your routine. Then embrace the new experiences and let them “seep” into your brain.
You’ll find that when you turn your focus back to your work, you have an enhanced appreciation for what you are doing, and perhaps your new perspective will give you new ideas, too!
Warmly,
Katie
P.S. What’s your favorite idea for a vacation? How about a mini-vacation? Think about some of the best ways you’ve discovered to both clear your head and have fun at the same time. Then come post your best ideas here….