Back to Work

Tomorrow I go back to work. I have been off for a total of 12 straight days at this point, so going back would typically be a touchy subject. I am lucky, however, that I have a job that I enjoy and that is fulfilling. I have had some in the past that do not meet that criteria. Most of us are in that same boat, the latter. I am not dreading tomorrow and this is a good sign.

This got me thinking about the importance of time off, hell even sabbaticals. I think for a lot of us, this can be necessary if not mandatory. We work. We work a lot. We work long hours. We work hard. Do we need more of the opposite at times? Likely.

I know we all know it, but it is still important to be said- we need more ‘down’ time. Just time without…timelines. No meetings, no deliverables, no bosses. We need it, and we need it more than we currently allow ourselves.

As I walk through the doors in the morning, I will consider myself one of the lucky few. The lucky few who have no dread on that first day back. I know that most won’t have that same feeling. That feeling is difficult to come by. If you have it, count yourself lucky. If you do not, maybe it is time for a change.

We all have to work in some capacity. Should we stop allowing others to define what ‘work’ is for us?

Just a thought.

-Houston (@BumpBailey)