I was reflecting on how the return to work felt this year, and for the first time in a long time, I am hearing completely different experiences right across the board. Some of us are rested and invigorated, others are tired already.
One person even told me that ‘Christmas feels like it was at least 3mths ago’ – phew, that’s making 2024 feel like it’s going to be a LOOONG year. Clearly a holiday that didn’t work.
So this got me curious! How did you manage the long break this year?
Did you work through and …..
- enjoy the quiet productivity with no one around?
- feel knackered already?
Or did you down tools and take a full size break and .….
- Checked in throughout?
- Got loads of reading done?
- Switched off completely?
GEEK FACT:
Did you know the word holiday comes from the Old English hāligdæg or ‘holy day’? Confession: as someone with a GCSE in Anglo Saxon (yeah, really) I actually did know that…
Well, this year I took the last option and enjoyed a full size break and switched off completely. I did have plans to do lots of reading, thinking, reflecting but – I DIDN’T.
Instead I amped up my focus on family, friends and fitness (and did time with the police, but that’s another story…)
Having said that I did do a lot of preparation and planning work in December, and so was fully prepared to have a high impact re-entry – which really helped me to switch off completely.
Yes my ‘business books to read’ pile is now huge. But my levels of calm, focus and purpose are also huge. So take a moment to evaluate what you did this summer. How you feel now, at the start of 2024. And whether that’s what you needed from your holidays or whether you could have designed a better outcome for yourself. Then with your next break, apply these insights to design a holiday that works for you – and gets the results you’re looking for.
I’d love to hear what you do (or will do) deliberately as a result.
As ever the motto is – be deliberate, and don’t do it if it doesn’t get results.
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Rebecca is Australia’s pre-eminent advocate for B-suite leadership – the expert in developing hi-impact B-Suite leadership at both a team and individual level.
Speak to Rebecca about:
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- Individual and group coaching
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You can reach her on rebecca@boldhr.com
