Do you have a vacation scheduled?
If no, that’s step one. If yes, I’d invited you to think about your upcoming vacay a little differently.
A) Always have one scheduled. This is significant for two reasons: 1) It gives you something to look forward to and an activity plan with whomever you’re traveling. 2) Life flies by, and by the time you schedule a vacation you’ll already be burnt out and won’t think it through well.
B) Break from the pattern. I love my routines and systems. And, routines and systems are necessary for making efficient progress. AND, we need to break from even our best routines once or twice a year to keep us fresh and reevaluating everything.
C) Consider a brighter future. Maybe things are going great. Maybe you’re in a rough patch. Either way, whatever the season, use your break from the norm to reevaluate your normal modes of operation, and determine if there’s a better path or a different destination.
On our recent 10-year-anniversay trip, Hilary and I did the above. We didn’t have our kids with us—for the first time—and we were far away and embracing new or no routines. As we hiked and walked, Hilary and I also discussed ideas in which the two of us could collaborate more together and partner in projects. It was exciting and uniting. It gave us a sense of newness and shared optimism about some future ideas. It’s those kinds of things that bond us and bring new energy.
When’s the next vacation? With whom are you traveling? And, if helpful, remember the A, B, C’s.