{"id":105499,"date":"2023-07-19T11:50:08","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T17:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipcircle.com\/do-better-at-your-job\/"},"modified":"2023-08-15T17:34:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T23:34:01","slug":"do-better-at-your-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadershipcircle.com\/en-au\/blog\/do-better-at-your-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Better at Your Job\u2014Take a Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]An estimated 85% of Americans plan to travel for vacation this summer, according to the Summer Travel Survey & Trends 2023<\/a> report, published by The Vacationer. And yet, millions of vacation days will still go unused this year. Hundreds of millions. In a survey by the U.S. Travel Association, more than half of Americans leave vacation time on the table\u2014768 million days\u2019 worth in 2018, alone.<\/p>\n

Worse, nearly a third of U.S. employees don\u2019t even have access to paid time off, and more than half of those who do report working while on vacation. I bet you\u2019ve done it. Checked your email \u201creal quick\u201d while enroute to the beach. Hopped on \u201cjust one\u201d work call on your day off. Tried to \u201cknock out\u201d a project over the weekend.<\/p>\n

This is in sharp contrast to workers in other parts of the world, who take time off more seriously. Most European countries offer a minimum of 20 days of paid leave each year, with Spain encouraging the most time off in Europe\u201439 days between PTO and paid holidays. Similarly, Australians typically have a minimum of four weeks of annual leave and enjoy the common practice of taking \u201clong service leaves,\u201d or extended vacations.<\/p>\n

Is it any wonder, then, that the U.S. has earned a reputation as the \u201cburnout nation\u201d? I\u2019m not saying that no American ever takes time off or that U.S. workers are the only ones in the world who experience professional burnout. But it certainly seems like we could learn something from our global colleagues.<\/p>\n

The Benefits of Taking a Break<\/h3>\n

Part of achieving the professional goals you set for yourself is knowing when to rest\u2014and when to give your goals a rest. In addition to lowering your blood pressure and raising the quality of your sleep, stepping away from work offers benefits that boost your productivity, clarify your focus, and rejuvenate your spirit.<\/p>\n

Vacation is a time to mentally unwind. Taking a break gives you the opportunity to reduce your cognitive overload and recuperate from mental fatigue. This clears out the cobwebs and makes room for your brain to entertain new ideas, give energy to fresh perspectives, and embrace new information. Plus, time away from the office likely means time spent doing hobbies and activities that aren\u2019t part of your 40-hour-a-week work life, stimulating your mind in ways that are different from your daily grind.<\/p>\n

Use this to your advantage. A break from work, whether a three-day weekend, a weeklong backyard staycation, or two weeks in the Maldives, is a prime opportunity to gain perspective into what you do, how you\u2019re doing it, and what you can do differently. Here are three things you can do on vacation to lean into Creative competencies that, ultimately, will help you at work:<\/p>\n

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  1. Relax and Reflect
    \n<\/strong>Stepping away from work provides the opportunity to reassess your goals, values, and priorities so that you can gain clarity and make any necessary adjustments based on what truly matters to you. At the heart of goal setting and professional achievement lies keen self-awareness and visionary thinking. Time away from the tedium and repetition of everyday tasks and the constant pressure of a \u201cpush through\u201d mentality allows you to step back and see the whole picture with new eyes. Dream big. Envision goals and outcomes that excite and motivate you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Target Creative Competencies:<\/p>\n