Holiday Expectations: Will you “use” the time, or let it go by?

Holiday Expectations: Will you “use” the time, or let it go by?

Holiday Expectations: Will you “use” the time, or let it go by?

Holiday can be hard to think about when you’re feeling a bit swamped. 

You want it and are excited about it; you need it; but you may also be tempted to make sure you “use” your holiday time for thinking about the business. Planning. Writing some content. 

Actually having headspace seems like a huge opportunity.

The key is expectations. Yours, and your clients’ expectations. 

You want to plan what you absolutely will and won’t do when you’re on holiday: and it’s completely your choice how you use it. Whether you do absolutely NO content whatsoever during that time (or no business at all), or whether you use the odd hour here or there to catch up on a few things. 

I’m a big fan of the complete switch-off: no email, no Slack, no content writing, no business books even. And I strongly recommend you allow yourself to be bored.

We don’t do enough boredom. 

Boredom is at the heart of creativity, because from boredom comes curiosity. 

You start thinking about things. Not necessarily work things, although of course that will happen. But just life things. How does this work? What did that person say and what did it mean? Where have you been meaning to travel to but haven’t got round to? 

You pay more attention to people. To your family, or those you are on holiday with. Even strangers. You’re more relaxed, chat cheerfully with the person at the hotel desk or the coffee shop or the poolside. 

You read and consume different content. Whenever I’m on holiday, I go into a bookstore with a completely different mindset. I pick up something I wouldn’t normally think about – last time I was in Dublin I picked up “How to break up with your phone”, and another trip i bought a big photography book about people who went off the grid and lived in the wild (and took photographs of their journey). 

I’m taking two full weeks off at the end of august – my sister and her husband are coming for a long (and i mean looooooong) anticipated trip to Scotland, and we’ll be on two remote islands reminding ourselves of the value of a slower pace of life. I’ve been planning for months how I’ll be disconnected – preparing the team, running trainings and building out our PF Way so everything is well documented, and mentioning it to clients so they know too. 

I do believe the complete switch off is necessary at least once or twice a year, but you can certainly consider two options:

1. Decide to do nothing at all. If you decide this, stick to it, and you’ll realise the refreshment you got will enable you to be more productive when you return.

2. Decide that doing some work is OPTIONAL, and create a list of things you’d like to write or create. Remember though, if you don’t get to them, there’s no guilt.

(I wouldn’t even consider a REQUIRED option of content – otherwise what’s the point of a holiday?)

When it comes to your clients, you’ll want to make sure you’ve communicated clearly to them, too. How have you dealt with holidays in the past? How will you deal with it this time? 

If you have a team to take care of things when you’re away, it’s simple. Put on the out of office, mention it to a few clients ahead of time, job done. 

If you’re on your own, make sure clients know what kind of holiday it is. Are you “off off”, where they can’t reach you at all? What do they do if there’s an emergency of some kind? Will you be checking here and there throughout the time you’re away? 

When it comes to social media and going silent, I assure you no one really notices. If you don’t want to specifically say you’re on holiday in Majorca or at a family wedding or whatever, just post that you’re going quiet on social in order to focus on a few things in the business (it’s true, because you’re focusing on yourself, so you have a better business).

What I’d love for you to reply with is: 

Where you’re going on holiday, and whether you’ll switch off completely, or create the optional content list?

I’ll be on the Isles of Mull and Skye for the last week in August, and the first week in September! Doing no work at all! Maybe a little sketchnoting though. Just for fun.

 

I send these tips and sketchnotes out every Saturday! Sign up to get them here.

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ON THE GRAM

Popped into a fave local coffee shop in York this week and this was the mug they gave me. ❤️✨

Wasn’t feeling so superwomanny when I got it - this week was very full, plus period cramps and multiple migraines and my ankle being wonky and more travel than I’ve done in a while. I had intended to get coffee but the cramps were so bad I had to go for mint tea and just sit until they faded enough for me to walk again. 

At the same time, I also had an amazing time during this week with the @weare_pf Board meeting in person for the first time. Getting to know each other better as humans and sharing ideas and making plans and most of all appreciating that the weight of all the business decisions doesn’t rest solely on my shoulders. 

This is just one of your reminders that being a superwoman looks different at different times, and whether you’re striding along strongly or sitting weakly with mint tea, your superwoman status still applies. 

#justkeepgoing #superwoman #muglife #wegotthis #onedayatatime
Every single time I go sailing past this lighthouse on the mull-to-Oban ferry I think “this time I’ll just watch it and not take any pictures” 

And then something wild happens like A SAILBOAT GOES BY and of course I have to capture that, surely I haven’t taken that photo before (spoiler: I have), and then I have about seventeen lighthouse photos to add to my collection of seven thousand lighthouse photos from the last twenty years. 

But, I figure, what’s the harm anyway. It’s my photos and my memories and it brings me joy. I love the lighthouse as a visual of my journey from the mainland to the island (or a reminder I’ll be back soon). 

So, see you soon lighthouse. Thanks for standing there. 

#lismorelighthouse #eileanmusdile #lighthouse #lighthousesofinstagram #oban #ferry #calmac #isleofmull #sailaway #sailboat #scotland #travelscotland
I read. A lot. My list of “books to read” has over 100 titles listed, and every time I mention a book I’ve appreciated, I get another recommendation of a new one and the list gets longer. 

One of the books recommended to me years ago was “The Buddha in Me the Buddha in You”. She mentioned it had some helpful principles about how we navigate life - and whether you’re a buddhist or not, there are principles you can learn from and apply in life.

I wrote it down, forgot about it, and moved on with life. Read lots of other books.

And then when I broke my ankle, and was sitting and resting a LOT, with loads of time for reading, I went back to my list and started reconsidering some of the titles on it.

When I looked up “The Buddha in Me the Buddha in You”, the subtitle was “A Handbook for Happiness”, and that struck me.

Dealing with an injury is difficult. Sad. Wearying. It can be hard to find happiness and every day feels about the same. (Very Groundhog Day.)

So I bought the book, and put it by my bed. I started getting into a pattern of reading a chapter every morning with my coffee.

I thought I’d share some of the principles I appreciated and which are already helping me as I continue to navigate my life right now: 

[the full post on these is too long for an Insta post so click the link in bio or story if u want to read more!]

Thank the spoon - a spoon stirs up the mud in what had appeared to be clear water. Same with life: hard things stir up what you haven’t dealt with yet. So you thank them. “Thank you, spoon”

The Fundamental darkness (FD) - the “Survival Obsessed Self” who responds in a way based on survival but not growth

There’s a gift in the struggle - He describes it visually as “the lotus flower in the muddy pond”. You can focus on the mud, or on the flower, but they’re both there.

Nam - myo - ho - renge - kyo : The happiness soundtrack - I pulled out the core concepts of each of these words as they applied to me, and they are: 

Purpose
Mystery
Potential 
Bloom in the struggle
Flow of life

#karensnotes #buddhainmebuddhainyou #books #reading #happysaturday 

[full note link in bio!]
The snow is swirling the wind is howling IT’S FROZEN OUT THERE 
#snowing #happyspringeveryone #inlikealion