Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime!
July and August are big vacation months – Yay! Do you have big vacation plans this summer? I sure hope so!!
Not taking your vacation is bad for you in so many ways. Beyond getting a change in environment and away from your day-to-day responsibilities, it’s such a treat to get away from it all and relax a bit!
So here’s a thought … why not take some of your R&R time to daydream a bit about what your future could be?
Reflect on what’s going on for you right now – then take it from there and contemplate what it could be.
Here are some questions to get you started in assessing your as-is state of being:
- What’s going really well for me right now?
- What am I enjoying least right now?
- What am I enjoying most right now?
- What is keeping me up at night?
Now, shift gears and start to think about what your to-be state of being could be:
- What is one thing I really want? (after you come up with your answer here, then ask yourself): – is it something I can control? – can I initiate it? – do I believe it’s achievable? (If the answer to any of these probing questions in “no,” revisit the first question.)
- What will it be like when I achieve this one thing I really want? (what does it look like? – what will people say about it? – how will I feel?)
- What will be the positive impacts of this achievement?
- Are there any negative ramifications? What are they?
- What resources do I need? (information, attitude, internal state, training, money, help, or support from others, etc. …)
- How am I going to achieve this? What actions do I need to take? What is my time frame?
- WARNING: Don’t let these last few questions overwhelm you. Just think about what small steps can you take to get things moving in the new direction. What moves you closer to achieving that desired future state for yourself?
One thing I’ve not only seen in research but learned first-hand is that when you are relaxed, you are often more creative and open to new ideas. So take advantage of your vacation time, pour your favorite umbrella-donned drink and start noodling.
Just imagine what it could be.
Rather than the big let-down of coming off vacation, you could come back home refreshed and a rejuvenated about what’s next for you!
Martha Duesterhoft is a Partner with PeopleResults. Follow her on Twitter @mduesterhoft or connect via email at mduesterhoft@people-results.com.
