2-17-10 Balance

Okay, show of hands here. How many of you have a large vacation or paid time off balance? By that, I mean a balance equal to or larger than what you earn each year. Really? Why?

If you raised your hand, or if you cheated and didn’t…… well, perhaps you should give some thought to having a bit more balance in your life. An enormous paid time off balance can be an indicator that things are out of whack.

Yeah, I know, in today’s environment it is hard to think of being away. What if they figure out they don’t need me? What about all those darned emails that will stack up in my absence? What about the opportunities I will miss?

And add to this the fact that, in our culture, we are all defined by what we do. When you meet someone new, isn’t one of the first bits of data exchanged about your jobs and what you do?

But at what price? If you are defined by your job, that is pretty limiting. Most of us are much more than our jobs. We are parents, children, volunteers, etc. And that is what our paid time off is for. To nurture and expand those other roles.

And honestly, it doesn’t hurt your chances at work. When I had employees asking for vacation, my first thought was how I could accommodate them. And while they were gone (I mean, really, what is one or two weeks in the grand scheme of work?!?), I didn’t forget them and I didn’t pass them by for opportunities. And probably, most important, I realized how important they were to me and to the organization.

And finally, most people need variety in their lives. When you only work and do your job, how does the rest of your life look? For example, I learned via an assessment (more about those in a later post), that I have a creative side. No surprise to me there as I have been a life-long crafter. What brought it into perspective is when I finally realized that I needed to MAKE time for those creative endeavors outside of work. I wouldn’t ever get the creative satisfaction I needed from my job. And when I got that satisfaction, I was a better person at work and at home.

Having said all of that, I was guilty of an enormous balance too! When I finally retired, I had maxed out on my paid time off. And while the payoff was certainly nice there at the end, I suspect that I could’ve been a better executive had I taken a little more of that time off during my career -- if I had some more balance in my life. I realize that when our lives are more balanced, we are better employees, parents, children, volunteers --- just better all around.

Cheers!