Job, gig, career, work – whatever you call it – it takes time and attention. Sometimes a lot of it.
Thankfully there is that thing called compensation. But you could be marveling over the numbers in your bank account and then suddenly see that exotic locale flash across the screen. There’s a sunset, the sky, a mountain, a vast blue ocean. Remember those?
You realize that there is a life to live for yourself out there. You realize that you’ve been getting up to an alarm and following the same old routine every day – with little to no change (in perhaps years). But don’t worry. A vacation could be your reality paycheck. A vacation is a chance for perspective. For autonomy. For evolution.
It has a bad wrap, the word ‘vacation’. Hearing it conjures an image of a sunbather. That’s right, the one who’s laying on a wooden chair on the beach with nothing to do but sit and sip cocktails from coconuts all day.
But setting out on a journey away from it all is not the time to do nothing. It’s an opportunity to work on yourself and to make life-course adjustments. Going on the right trip could be a turning point in your life.
Rather than a temporary escape from the stress, vacations can be a career and personal success catalyst. It’s all in how you approach it. But how much vacation time should take? According to entrepreneur.com, you should find the ideal balance between vacation time and work that will let you relax but at the same time not forget about your duties and responsibilities.
Some of the soul searching and questions you must ask yourself simply cannot be done on the job site in the middle of the grind. You’ve got to break free. When you have true clarity of mind, you can reflect on the following:
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Is it the right job at the right time?
Who else is in your life? A spouse? A child? How does your schedule influence the time you share with them? Are you earning enough to achieve your financial goals? Is there happiness? What else could you be getting paid to do? Maybe you are considering a career change? Then take your time to create a resume to get the job of your dream. Or it might be a better idea to ask a professional resume writing service, like resumeget, to do it for you. In the meantime, you can enjoy your vacation.
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Are you climbing or clinging to that career ladder?
Is there mobility in your current position? Can you grow or be promoted? What is in your power to request? What can you demand?
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Are you the one making the job work or are you working for the job?
Granted not all of us are on the cutting edge when it comes to our jobs, but the handle is just as important as the blade. Can you innovate or improve a system or process that you use?
Remember that there’s nothing keeping you from ‘branding’ the way you go about things either. After all, doing your work your own way is the ultimate freedom.
It’s so easy to fall into a vacuum of eat, sleep, work, repeat. To be comfortable and to trade ambition for regularity. Your labor should follow from your own life’s pursuits. That is, if you wish to be the one thriving, not just your employer. Your work output should be in tandem with your legacy and what you want to leave behind.
Afford yourself perspective to truly see your part in the bigger picture. Lift the dome off your career vacuum. Become a better professional and person for those around you. Achieve your dreams. Go on vacation.
