Out of the Office

This girl is headed out of the office for a week-long family vacation to celebrate all the graduation activity in my household, and I couldn't be more ____________. Fill in the blank.

Thrilled: Absolutely. I’m headed toward sunshine, the Stanley Cup, and a sky full of stars where there is no cell service. Our mighty team has been working hard. Proposals have gone out (you win some, you lose some). Deliverables have been delivered. Site visits have been made. The mind could use a little rest, and the family deserves a little attention. So yes, way, vacay. Let's go!

Terrified: Also yes. Who is going to do all the things while I am out gallivanting among the stars, rebel-rousers, and tourists? I’ve been checking off a to-do list since March, and I can already picture myself standing in the depths of a National Park searching for a cell signal. Yep, just like the Verizon commercial. Surely my clients will desperately need me, judge me for being out of the office, fire me, and ruin my reputation. Woe. Is. Me.

Trusting: Here's the thing. While I’m away, my team has my back. They understand the value of our weekly meetings where, despite working on different projects in different places, we all have a good sense of what is happening across our professional worlds. More importantly, they have the skills, judgment, and confidence to answer questions and solve problems. They will step in where needed and make sure we never miss a beat.

Tired: Between planning the vacation and planning to be on vacation, I’m exhausted. Why did I plan an adventure vacation again? Couldn't I just sit by a pool or on a beach somewhere? Maybe with a book that has absolutely nothing to do with parking, feasibility studies, economic development, or grant applications? Recently, a board member from one of our favorite client organizations was out of the office. In his auto-reply, he included this message:

"A recent Harvard Business Review study found that vacations are good for the brain and can increase performance at work. This calls for further research!"

I appreciate his commitment to science. So, I’m taking my thrilled, terrified, trusting, and tired self on vacation with full confidence that a rested brain is an investment worth making. The work will be here when I get back. The family memories won't wait.

Until then, I'm officially Out of the Office.

Cheers!