Do you ever dream of heading off on holiday and never coming back?
Life can easily slip away one day at a time … so your summer break is an ideal time to take stock of where you are and how far … or how little … you have travelled since this time last year.
Our holidays often bring us closer to our loved ones and into contact with new people, places and ways of life. And the weather is often good, making us feel energized and positive about the future, and more willing to embrace new ideas and possibilities.
So, while a change is as good as a rest, a rest is also good for change.
When you put distance between yourself and your daily life, you allow yourself to escape the relentless activity that normally stops you thinking about the things that really matter. And since what you do for a living takes up so much of your time, it’s worth reviewing what you do and why.
So this year, as well as using your break for some much needed rest and relaxation, why not use it for some potentially life-changing reassessment and redirection?
If you wish things were different maybe it’s time to start thinking ‘the unthinkable’, turn down a different path and press the reboot button on your life.
Here are four questions to help you get to the root of things:
1. Are you still excited by your job or career? Or does your working week seem dull and frustrating? If so, it may be time for a change – there’s no law that says you have to keep on doing what you’ve always done. Really think about what you would love to do, and what you might need to do to achieve that.
2. Has work taken over? Is work invading your weekends to the point that you can never relax or spend the time you want with family or friends? If that’s how you feel, clearly that isn’t going to change unless you do something about it.
3. Is your career or job one-way traffic? Is what you do fulfilling, as well as financially rewarding?Or does it feel like hard work for little return? The reality is that work doesn’t have to feel like this. You do have options, whether that’s working for a different company, in a different industry, or even striking on your own.
4. Can you see a future for yourself staying where you are? Is there any evidence that anything is going to change for the better over the next 6 or 12 months? While you may not want to rock the boat, simply hoping that things will get better is rarely the answer. Be proactive and keep an open mind, as good things may come at any time from unexpected sources.
Whatever your answers to these questions, you don’t have to make life-changing decisions there and then, but if your holiday has allowed you to dream about a different kind of life, don’t dismiss your ‘holiday romance’. You really can do something else if you choose.
So, while a change is as good as a rest, a rest is also good for change.
Author Bio
Maite Barón is author of the award-winning book Corporate Escape: the Rise of the New Entrepreneur . Passionate about courageous leadership, wellbeing and lifestyle, she is co-founder of The Corporate Escape™, a London based consultancy that helps professionals escape the rat race, rekindle their passion for life and reinvent themselves. She’s a motivational speaker and contributor to the Huffington Post, Global Banking and Finance Review (GBFR) and Entrepreneur. To help you take control of your professional life sign-up to receive her weekly updates.