Each summer, I make a commitment to recharge. I commonly encourage my clients to recharge. And perhaps taking a vacation seems like one of the easiest things to do. But no! My clients who have had decades of being responsible at work will tell you it’s one of the hardest things to manage. Have you said anything like this before?

“If I leave, I will come back to a mountain of emails & work and I’ll never catch up!”

“If I take a break, my clients/patients/customers won’t get the service they need!”

“No one knows how to do my work; I can’t take a break even if I wanted to!”

These are important concerns, and taking a break takes courage & a plan. I am going to give you homework, should you choose to accept. 🙂 During the month of May, focus on succession planning, cross-training, & creating or fortifying systems that allow for you and your team to recharge. This will take some work, but I know you are up for it, and you will reap rewards from focusing on the long game.

To walk the talk, I plan to hike 251 miles of the Camino de Santiago (read more here) this summer in Spain for 3 weeks. The last time I walked about the same length was 22 years ago on the John Muir Trail in California! I’m thrilled to have the break, but am also hard at work figuring out how to make it work. I remind myself that if I take breaks, I serve better. I bring my energy, creativity, focus, patience, and drive better.

So here’s to you enjoying life and recharging.