Guilt-free vacation – Day 2 Guilt free until 9pm.

Day 2 of my “guilt free vacation” and it was a pretty fabulous day. Out to brunch at Tulí Bistro with the whole family and then to the Matinee of the Sacramento Ballet’s rendition of Carmena Burana followed by dinner at friends (after squeezing in a quick run out to the airport to pick up the mini-van).

After hustling 2 tired kids home to bed (6 year olds really need their sleep while 8 year olds still bounce), I decided to put together my “keeping me up at night” list and send it off to my employee who is lucky enough to be me for the week. Writing this email required opening my inbox and frankly, I am not sure how I feel about the shot of adrenaline at 9 pm. On the positive side, I’m typing faster!

Day 1: Saturday	4
Day 2: Sunday	3 – Managed to limit the damage to about 60 minutes.
Day 3: Monday
Day 4: Tuesday
Day 5: Wednesday
Day 6: Thursday
Day 7: Friday
Day 8: Saturday
Day 9: Sunday

Scale: 0 = no guilt, no work thoughts
10 = high guilt, significant work thoughts

I do have a few work related items that will encroach tomorrow. Feeling positive that we can get to near zero at some point during the week! Off to bed since it’s early to rise tomorrow. Hopefully my packing for travel expertise will come in handy in the morning.

Signed,  “Vacationing” Maven

Guilt-free vacation – Day 1

Well, it’s day 1 of my “guilt free vacation” and things are going pretty good so far.

There are several work-related items on my list that are causing some guilt. I am debating whether or not I delegate them or do them myself.

My colleagues have been very supportive. We have agreed on a special SMS code to my non-work cell phone should I need to look for something which should all but eliminate the need to watch for the little red blackberry blinking led.

So on a scale of 0 = no guilt, no work thoughts, to 10 = high guilt, significant work thoughts, I give today about a 6.

Day 1: Saturday	4 – have to log into work email to delegate some “critical” tasks at some point before Monday morning.
Day 2: Sunday
Day 3: Monday
Day 4: Tuesday
Day 5: Wednesday
Day 6: Thursday
Day 7: Friday
Day 8: Saturday
Day 9: Sunday

I did get all of my hotel, rental car and activities reservations done though! Actually leaving town for vacation should really help in the “now work” categories.

Off to run some errands!

Signed,  “Vacationing” Maven

Guilt-free vacation starts in less than 24 hours

As you recall from a few days ago, I posted about vacation guilt.

Well, it’s Thursday night and my “guilt free” vacation begins tomorrow after work. It’s 5 days off work and 4 days of weekends.

I am planning on keeping a “work guilt” scoreboard of any work related thoughts or activities.

Day 1: Saturday
Day 2: Sunday
Day 3: Monday
Day 4: Tuesday
Day 5: Wednesday
Day 6: Thursday
Day 7: Friday
Day 8: Saturday
Day 9: Sunday

Right now I’m feeling guilty for thinking about my time off vs. doing late night inbox management. Fortunately I’m jet lagged from my business trip to UK so sleep deprivation trumps guilt.

I’ll post a list of guilt minimizers tomorrow. In the meantime, I have a feeling I’m going to need additional help with “guilt-free” tips and tricks. Please post yours!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
Maven

Vacation guilt? Girls, we have to get over it!

I just ran across a link to the Expedia.com – 2009 International Vacation Deprivation™ Survey Results in this morning’s Pink Magazine ‘Mini Getaways” Newsletter.

Some of the horrifying highlights (Source: Expedia):

About one-third of employed U.S. adults (34%) usually do not take all of the vacation days they receive each year

24 percent – of employed adults check work email or voicemail while vacationing.

Men are more likely than women to take a 2-week vacation (12% men vs. 8% women). However, women are more likely than men to feel guilty about taking time off from work (40% women vs. 29% men).

And guess what?? I am GUILTY AS CHARGED! I am planning to take next week off for spring break while my children are out of school. It’s only 5 days and I hope to role model a actually taking time off and skipping the guilt.

Stay posted and I’ll let you know if I come up with any musings on guilt reduction methods.

Wish me luck.

Feeling dubious,  Maven.

Links:

Expedia.com Vacation Deprivation™ site: www.vacationdeprivation.com.

Need more ideas? Girlfriend Getaways: http://www.girlgetaways.com/

Subscribe to the Little Pink Book Newsletter: http://www.pinkmagazine.com/newsletter/subscribe.aspx

Personal is personal… don’t be confused

In this day and age of the Blackberry, iPhone or name your flavor of smart phone, there is absolutely no reason to tell your boss about every non-work related item that you might need to take care of during work hours. And when are work hours anyway??

Many jobs are more structured but most corporate professionals “own their own” calendars and work whatever hours need to be scheduled to get the job done. With instant access to email, corporate IM on smart phones and more, being out of touch is a choice not a technical limitation.

So why do we still feel compelled to fill our boss and co-workers in when we have to go to the dentist or go to a quick parent teacher conference or run our grandmother to her doctor appointment?  Stuff happens… we deal with it. While you are driving from point to point, you are probably on a conference call. When you arrive, you flip open your Blackberry and check for any urgent emails. While in the waiting room (waiting…) you log into IM and make yourself accessible for any quick questions.

As your boss, as long as I can get a hold of you in a reasonable amount of time, I don’t need the details and where you are. If I get too many details, over time those details start to “pile up” and even if your work has NEVER been impacted, doubts start to creep in. I start to wonder that if you are a teeny bit late on a deliverable that perhaps you’ve been out shopping for bonbons.

Oh, and don’t fill me in on your medical history during happy hour… I DON’T WANT TO KNOW!

Best, Maven

P.S. Maven Tip: If the personal stuff is out of whack, I’ll eventually notice…even if you don’t tell me. Keep it reasonable and ruthlessly manage your priorities and schedule.

Earn leadership stripes off the job

I wrote a blog last April ‘09 called “Need a job? Use volunteering to gain leadership experience” that highlighted the opportunity keep your resume fresh even if you lost your job. I want to emphasize that taking volunteer assignments is not only a great way to prevent gaps in your resume but it is also an excellent way to network and we all know that more than 56% of all jobs are landed due to a referral.

Maven Quick Tip: Volunteer assignments can also be excellent for gaining leadership experience quicker and more easily that may be available in your every day job.  No one is going to turn down free labor so volunteer for a position that is greater than your every day job scope.  Give back to your community AND build your resume at the same time. It’s a WIN/WIN!

Beyond Fear to Power

I ran across this quote again the other day when I was flipping back through the book "The Power of Focus" by by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt. Power of Focus is a book that goes with me pretty much everywhere, by the way.

To me, this quote is about looking inside and embracing one's true self. It is about moving beyond having our self-worth being based on things that are external. It is about shedding those things that hold us back. Enjoy.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love:
Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

Buy this book
A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3 (Pg. 190-191)