One day I called up my friend, Susan, and asked her how she was.  She said, “Things are great.  Joe and I just got back from another week long vacation.”  I realized that, just about every time I talked to Susan, she had recently gone on vacation.  I was a bit annoyed and jealous.  “How do you take so many vacations?” I asked.   Her reply made me even more annoyed, “We simply make it a priority.”  I felt a certain amount of self-pity as I shot back, “Boy, I wish my life was set up so I could take so much time off.”   In a compassionate, yet direct manner, Susan replied, “You can if it’s important enough to you.  Joe and I just decided we’d take eight weeks off each year.  There’s a lot of resistance to doing that, but we’re committed to living the life that we want to live.”

I hung up the phone practically enraged, thinking, “Yeah, but I’ve got bills to pay, work to do.  I could never do that.”  Then, a light bulb in my brain went off.  I heard the still, small voice inside my head say, “The only thing stopping you is fear.  You could take eight weeks off a year if you really wanted to.”  I knew that voice was right.  So I decided to give it a trial run for six months.  I vowed I would take off four weeks in the next six months as an experiment.  If my life and finances fell apart as a result, I would never do it again. Yet, if it worked, then maybe, just maybe, I would do it for another six months.  So began my vacation commitment experiment.

We all have plenty of reasons why we can’t possibly do the things we really want to do in life.  Mortgages, kids, stressful jobs–the list is endless.  However, where there’s a will, there’s a way. What are your vacation dreams?  Do you want to travel around the world, or simply take mini-vacations on a more regular basis?   I suggest you make a specific commitment as to how much time you’d like to take off this next year.  I have found that my vacations not only add to the quality of my life, but also help me manifest more effectively in my career.  Many of my best ideas have been born along a lonely stretch of beach or a winding forest path.  Time off from the stresses of modern day life helps to rejuvenate your soul, and clarify the directions you want to go in life. Yet, it won’t happen unless you commit to a specific, doable plan.

There are no rules as to what you should commit to.  Yet, to come up with a plan that’s right for you, it can be helpful to consider the following three questions:

1)  Does a long vacation or several short vacations better fit in with my lifestyle, desires, and needs?

2) How much time off have I taken in recent years, and might I benefit from trying to take a little more time away from work?

3) Based on the answers to the two previous questions, what would be a reasonable plan I could commit to doing regarding time away from work over the course of the next year?

Once you’ve made and scheduled your vacations, tell the appropriate people in your life (family, employer, etc.) so they have time to adjust to your schedule.  In some cases, you may have to change your commitment to meet their needs, but do your best to hold on to your vacation dreams.

In the United States, people are typically given only two weeks of paid vacation time.  Yet, in many European countries, five to eight weeks a year is standard.  Nobody on their death bed has said, “I wished I had spent more time at the office or watching TV.”  I know that making such a commitment can be scary, that’s why I suggest you start off easy.  Once you see that the world doesn’t end as soon as you turn off your smartphone, you’ll be emboldened to keep going.

Taking vacations is not selfish. It’s a necessary way to regenerate yourself and help you live a happy and meaningful life.  Make sure you schedule your time off so that you don’t find yourself at the end of the year with too much to do and no time to take a vacation.  If you have a mate, talk to them (TONIGHT!) about when your next vacation will be.  You’ll be glad you did.