Since September I have been taking on some new responsibilities at work. In essence it was a promotion, but like I have heard someone say before “a promotion is more work in disguise”.
I have been working more hours and my schedule has been a lot more intense since the change. It has been a lot of fun and challenging all at the same time. So what did I do this past week?
I took the week off!
Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
During this week I haven’t had a chance to sleep in. When you have an 18 month old, that doesn’t happen! On the other hand I have been able to be more regular in my afternoon naps!
I have been able to rest more and my days were filled with less stress.
I read a whole book, drank less coffee and most importantly:
I have spent more time with my wife and daughter. We have gone to the park after a fresh coat of snow, we have walked around the mall and we have gone out to eat.
This past week has been a break and has freed up more of my time to be with my family.
During this week, I have checked my email, but on a limited bases. I have remained connected, but because I wanted to, not out of obligation.
The health of your family is the foundation of your effectiveness in your influence.
When your foundation is cracking or shaky, you can only go so far.
If the tower has been built tall and the foundation is not maintained, disaster is around the corner.
When you take time to rest, have a vacation and focus on your family, you are setting a strong foundation.
If you are seeing some cracks in those relationships, increasing the quality of time you spend with them will help strengthen that foundation.
When you do take a break, don’t feel bad!
You are taking time off and you should expect those around you to respect that.
Communicate to those that need to know, so that they understand why you aren’t returning your emails, etc.
Close any loops. While you are gone life will go on. Set your team up to win while you are away by making sure you don’t leave anything that needs immediate attention unfinished.
When you are taking time off, take time off. Don’t let your mind drift towards work, let it drift towards other areas you haven’t been in a while.
As you start the New Year, set some goals.
Let one of those goals be to spend more time with your family than ever before.
