Good Time Off Makes for Better Time On

Today I’m headed up to Boston to spend the next couple of weeks with my parents, brothers, and friends.

We’ve made this two-week trip each summer and winter since we moved to Florida. I love having the extended time because it gives everyone plenty of opportunity to reconnect with everyone else without feeling like we have to fit a ton of activities into a short window.

It’s relaxed. It’s fun. And honestly, the freedom to take this kind of long trip is a big reason why I love running this location-independent business.

Now, the first time we did this a couple of summers ago, I took some work with me. It wasn’t a ton, but I figured that two weeks was plenty of time to both hang out with my family and get some work done.

And it was plenty of time. But it was also a mistake.

The need to eventually get some work done was always lingering in the back of my mind. It was still a great trip, but it was more stressful than it needed to be and I didn’t quite feel like I had really gotten away from my job.

Since then I’ve done things differently, getting all my work responsibilities handled before we left. And that’s made two things much, much better:

1. I get to enjoy the time away a lot more. I simply have more time and energy to dedicate to seeing my family and friends, without the nagging guilt of work that needs to be done.
2. Instead of feeling like I never really got away from work, I come back from these trips feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to dive back in to my mission here at Mom and Dad Money.

All of this is simply to say that no matter what your big goals are in life, it’s actually healthy to take breaks every now and then.

That could mean taking a 20 minute walk in the middle of your workday, or making sure you have time at night or on weekends for things you enjoy.

It could mean giving yourself the freedom every now and then to indulge and spend money on something that makes you happy, instead of always sticking to a strict budget.

It could mean taking time away from your spouse or children to go see friends or just to have some time to yourself.

I often find myself feeling guilty for taking time away from the things I care about most. I have this belief somewhere inside of me that if I really cared about something, I would put all of my energy into it all of the time.

But that’s just not realistic. Or even healthy.

In fact, taking good time off can actually make you more productive during the times you’re on. You can come back refreshed and re-energized, with a new sense of purpose and dedication to your goal.

That’s been my experience, and I would encourage you to think about how you can build some dedicated time off into your regular routines as well.

I’m guessing it will help you be even better at the things you care about most.

So with that, I’m off to Boston! You won’t hear from me for the next couple of weeks, so I hope you enjoy the holidays and come back at the start of the year ready to take on the world.

All the best!