It’s Vacation Time!
December 16, 2014
“Neglecting vacation is neglecting success because every success needs an accumulated positive energy…..In matters of healing the body or the mind, vacation is a true genius!” – Mehmet Murat İldan
Many of you reading this article are like me and have a constant driving tendency to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My hard charging brain never seems to shut-down. I’m always coming up with my next business idea or brilliant new direction for my company, at midnight on a Tuesday! I know many of you understand this more than you might be willing to admit.
This dedication can lead to great wealth and success in both life and business. However, it can also become a monster of it’s own by dominating our thought patterns and keeping them focused primarily on work-related subjects. The next thing you know, you’re being chastised by your spouse, your children or your friends for ignoring them. Maybe even seeming detached from your duties as a husband, father, or friend. One of the keys to success in business and personal relationships is maintaining balance. Sometimes, the best way to get things back into a balanced state is to take a well-deserved vacation. When I say “vacation,” I mean it in every sense of the term!
Taking a well-deserved vacation can work wonders for your relationships and your business. Here are several benefits:
-Vacations relieve stress
-Mental skills are improved drastically
-Physical health is improved
-Vacations strengthen family ties and enrich relationships
-You’ll be focused on enjoying life and the people/things that should matter most
Entrepreneurs are driven. We are successful because our primary focus is completing projects, reaching goals, and coming up with ideas to increase the bottom-line. The problem comes when our work-focus over-runs everything else. One of the most difficult things for me to do is to turn my phone off, log off my computer, and redirect my mind away from work. I believe that is one of the reasons that I made my first million before I turned 30.
However, I have found that when I take a vacation and force myself to enjoy life away from work, upon my return, I feel like a new man. I have a refreshed brain full of new ideas and I’m excited about the challenges that await me. I am a better entrepreneur, business leader, and even a better husband after I’ve allowed myself some time off to enjoy the sun, my wife, some good food, and some good entertainment.
Vacation shrinks stress and anxiety while boosting the mental and physical health of the entire family. We need a mental break, a distraction from deadlines, and time-away from technology! It takes “Type-A” entrepreneurs a tremendous effort to unplug from the ever-spinning world around us! But one’s mind, body, and spirit will be renewed by re-plugging into the joys of quality time with family and friends. Ask yourself this question: “Isn’t it time for me to take a break?”
Ironically, I am composing this article sitting in the airport terminal on my way to Bora-Bora for a two-week vacation with my wife. So my advice to you is to take this afternoon to plan your next vacation and let your family, friends, and your spouse/partner help you! You will not regret it, I promise. We all need a break, so there’s no shame in acquiescing to the vacation-gods!
Now, it’s time to turn my phone off and log-out of my MacBook. For the next week or so, it’s all about island-hopping and beachfront sunsets for me!
