27 November 2008

Can you afford not to take a vacation?

I am going on vacation starting this Saturday and I need it badly. I am busy, busy this week preparing to leave because I don't want to leave any loose ends and I want to cover off on anything that might come up in my absence. I also know that when I come back I will have to work twice as hard to make up for the time that I am away... but I'm still going.

I think we all need to take a vacation from our jobs. A change of scenery and a change of conversation is good for us to recharge and just get away from it all from time to time. Talking about work all the time is not healthy for anyone.

On this vacation I will not be checking my work computer remotely. I am not taking a wireless phone with me and I am not going to talk about work with my friends where I am visiting. I can't wait! I was talking to someone about that this week and decided that if we talk to our friends about work while we are on holidays, then there is always the chance that they will want to talk about their work and oh no, I am not going there...

I enjoy my work, but there is only so much of it you can take. There is more to life than work.

I will be enjoying my time in Southern California where I am hoping for nice sunny, warm weather, but if it is cooler, I have a heated pool and a hot tub at the hotel I am staying at. Just give me a lounge chair and a book and I will be all set.

I always take a few days off after I return home from a vacation to get back slowly into the swing of things before jumping right back to work. That is also the time I will peek remotely to see what is going on at work. It will be a good time to clean up all the e-mails that will be in my Inbox. Oh dear, I even hate to think about that...but checking ahead of time will eliminate a lot of clutter when I return to the office. I can deal with most of the e-mails by simply pressing Delete, but some of them will need to be looked at and handled.

Some things I will definitely do before I leave is turn my Out of Office Assistant on in my e-mail account. You would be surprised how many people forget to do this simple thing, but how very important it is to let people know that you are not there and if their matter is urgent to give them another e-mail contact or telephone number to call. You should also do the same with your voicemail.

I will most likely work late tomorrow as well to clear my desk and have everything prepared for my boss for the time I am away. I also have to meet with the person who will be sitting in for me to get them up to speed on some things that might come up. Then and only then will I turn off my computer, breathe a sign of relief and finish my packing and wait for the alarm to go off that tells me it is time to get ready to go to the airport.

Oh yeah! I can't wait for my vacation...

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