You Can Celebrate Your Accomplishments with a Break! Three Common Myths That Keep You On The Job And Less Productive
When you’re setting goals and achieving them, it’s important to celebrate, as we’ve talked about in previous posts. When you’ve put in a lot of time and energy on a long-term project, sometimes the best way to celebrate is with a trip or a vacation—not only to celebrate, but also to recharge. But so many people think they can’t ever get away from the office, and they don’t take vacations. This is a mistake, because it leads to burnout. Here are the top three myths that keep you on the job and, ultimately, cut down on your productivity.
1. I Don’t Have Time.
Forbes recently published an article explaining that fewer and fewer Americans are taking vacations. And the most commonly-stated reason why is, “I don’t have time.” But the problem really isn’t time—it’s time management. Planning ahead for a vacation does take some forethought and some additional time management techniques. You’ll need to plan out a few weeks in advance to make sure you’re able to work in ahead of time those tasks that you can’t delegate.
2. I Can’t Be Gone For An Entire Week.
This myth is closely related to the first myth, but it usually includes more than just time. Many people are afraid of being away from their employees or their daily obligations. If you’re taking a vacation with just your spouse, will the kids be ok? What about family pets? Who will run the neighborhood meeting? All the little things that others depend on you for? But these folks (and pets!) will be just fine without you for a week. It’s ok to take a break from your obligations every once in a while.
3. No One Else Can Do What I Do.
If you have hired a strong team, you should be able to delegate work to them. Maybe they can’t do everything you do in your job, but you can plan ahead for the things that they can’t do, and delegate the rest. You have to trust your team. No one is completely indispensable, so much so that they can’t be away for a few days. When you show your team that your trust them to do a good job, it builds team spirit. And helps you to get away without worrying.
Taking time to “sharpen the saw” and recharge is just as important as the work you do. Because without this time away from the office, your work will suffer, and you’ll find that your desire to work diminishes. When you refresh yourself, you’re ready to get back to it, and you’ll be more productive than if you’d stayed on the job.
