A Fresh Look at PTO: A Purposeful Minimalist Goes On Vacation

On average, annual "paid time off" in the United States (PTO in business-speak vernacular) is about 10 days.  Some people don't even take THAT much time away from work during the year, aside from holidays.  

Link this fact with the ever-increasing pace of life and work, the increased awareness of the importance of having leisure time, unplugging, etc., and the rise of the minimalist movement in the face of it all and what might you conclude?  

It makes a lot of sense to approach time off from work very deliberately, very thoughtfully.  We need to be sure we vacation "on purpose".   

If it's true in everyday life, then the so-called "minimalist approach" makes even more sense for time away from work, in my view.  

We start with a shift in mind-set:  you're on VACATION now, LEAVE, TIME OFF...pick your term, the point is, it's time to forget about your work life for a while.  

The pending projects, the accounts receivable, the deliverables, the problems...but also the big wins, the successes, the long fought-for successes.  It's time to turn off that part of your life for a bit.  This process takes effort, it must be done on purpose, as noted above.

When you leave your office or close your work laptop for the last time before vacation, mentally, actively file away everything that's pending at work until you get back.  It'll be there, don't worry.  

It helps to make a list of everything you have pending BEFORE you go, a day or so before you leave, updated as necessary on that final day, so you can re-engage upon your return.

And then FORGET ABOUT IT.  That's Step One.

Step Two requires equal purpose:  make a special effort to focus on what matters during your time off.  It's best to think a little bit about it off and on in the weeks or days leading up to the beginning of the vacation.  

What do you want to accomplish? What's the main goal (or goals) during your time off?  

In this particular case study (my upcoming trip to the beach with the family), I've got a clear idea of what I want to accomplish.

A few words sum things up nicely.

Relax and Unplug (from the day to day work mindset, attitude, pace).

Rest (naps as appropriate).

Reconnect (and go deeper, with the little things that make parenting and married life worth while). 

Recharge (naps as appropriate once again, but also allowing my mind to slow down, and wander).

To accomplish these four basic, inter-related goals, I know it will help for me to whittle down to basic needs, wants, requirements for the days off.  

What will be left will be my three little kids, my lovely wife, extended family, and time in an awesome, peaceful place.  

Taking purposeful steps to simplify will create a frame for the rest to happen.  As life unfolds each day, I'm going to watch it do so in slow motion, participate deeply therein, and soak up the moments.   

The following list is one of my preparation steps, my humble "minimalist" packing list for the five day family vacation at the beach:

1 sun hat
1 ball cap
1 hooded sweatshirt
1 water-resistant shell jacket
1 long-sleeve shirt
1 pair of warm/fleece pants
2 pair of shorts
3 tee shirts (plan to hand wash once)
3 underwear (plan to hand wash once)
1 pair of socks (plan to hand wash as needed)
1 pair of shoes
1 pair of flip flops
reading glasses
sun glasses
toiletries
reader
iPhone* for journaling notes, morning/evening news, emergency calls; 
*Important: NOT for emails
--

And so with just two days to go until me and the family drives south, this little outline and "statement of purpose" is my personal effort to get every drop of delicious value from this vacation.   

I'm fixin' to do so.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  

See you on the other side.


References:
http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/no-vacation-update-2013-05.pdf
http://www.theminimalists.com/

Blue Collar, White Collar, No Collar: It's all about Adding Value

Like most people, I’ve got friends from many different walks of life.  Executives to professional volunteers, business owners to labor activists, high earners to hourly workers, and everything in between.    

I've been somewhere in between all that for about twenty years now.  In 1994 I had established a footing in full time, "career-path" type work as a entry level field sales guy. At the time I had friends who were on similar starting tracks in the corporate world, some who were starting their own businesses, some heading down other career paths.  We had our working life before us, we were hopeful, excited, ready to go.

Fast-forward to present, and we've all show different battle scars from our work life. Most people I know have changed companies at least a few times (maybe four is the average), and some have changed career paths (more than once).   I have peers who could quit working if they wanted to, and other friends who haven't saved a dime for retirement.   Lots of dough in the bank to no dough in the mattress.

Through all this, a couple of characteristics stand out for me as primary indicators of happiness in work life.  They're rather fluid (maybe even fleeting?), but if you can put them together, chances are you'll be a happier, healthier person.

The first thing is, determine what your "passion triggers" are, what you really love to do and are (ideally) at least reasonably good at.  After all, the better you are at something, the more fun it is.  The more you love it, the more committed you'll be to the practice.    
After you've got these activities/skills identified, determine how you can engaged in and exercise these traits to ADD VALUE in whatever your job is. This is the second, important key.   If you can't find a way to sync these two things up -- your passion and your job -- then it's time to look for a new job.  

This approach might sound simplistic or even unrealistic. I  maintain though that you might very well be able to find ways to nurture your passion right where you are.  Creativity and imagination are required of course, but these factors are up to YOU.  

Put these two things together -- nurturing your passion and adding value to whatever work you do -- and you'll be happier in your day-to-day, and also healthier.  After all, worry and angst in life at work no doubt spill negatively into the rest of our life (think lack of sleep, poor diet, less exercise, strained relationships).

If you're doing what you love you're attitude improves and that reflects positively on everyone around you.  Add value and your employer will be able to see the difference. Additional compensation is more likely when you're doing more to help those you work for make better products, deliver better service, improve profitability.  

As one of my good friends said a long while back, "it's less about the title you have than the work you do and the value you bring -- that's how you will be successful."  Hear Hear. 

Nine Qualities Optimists Share

Can't take credit for these, as they're via a post from "Life is Good", but they are most certainly worth a blog post, to further the message:  

Do these GOOD things, and your life will be GOOD.

1)  Be a cheerleader for others.

2)  Be grateful and count your blessings.

3)  Live in the moment.  Right here, right now.

4)  Let things go.  Don't hold on to negative experiences or feelings.  

5)  Embrace the ups and downs.  Life is roller coaster. Accept it, enjoy it.

6)  Put a positive spin on things.  Lemons you got?  Make lemonade.

7)  Be flexible.  Go with it.  

8)  See failures as learning opportunities.

9)  Don't get bummed out by the weather.  It's just weather.  

My own personal summary goes something like this:  attitude is the single thing you have the most control over, and with a good one, the single thing that will help you enjoy, persevere, and permeate GOOD to others.  

It doesn't cost a dime, and yet a good attitude is priceless.   Get yours today!