Disconnect

I am writing this on my flight back to Florida from an annual ski trip I do with a group of friends. I just realized that I haven’t thought about work in 5 days. The office drama, the things I need to get done, the issues, I haven’t thought about any of them. Most of us spend the majority of our waking lives working. Then we spend much of our time away from work, thinking about work. The question is, do you disconnect?

For many years I had great intentions. I talked about all the vacations I wanted to take. Unfortunately I never put them on the calendar and work would simply take over. What I learned is that if you don’t put the plan in place and block the time, you’ll never do it.

Disconnecting goes beyond just taking a physical vacation. It’s also about the mental vacation. We have spoken in the past about taking time each day to clear your mind. It’s all about being in silence and becoming an observer of what is going through your brain. That is another critical piece of the equation.

The message this week is a simple one–disconnect. Plan the vacation you have been thinking about. Put it on your calendar, make the arrangements at work then book it. While you’re at it, make it a point to take 20 minutes a day and disconnect from “normal life.” Simply become the observer, let your mind slow down and watch all the benefits that follow.