How to Enjoy Your Vacations More - Part 1

I was not good at vacations once I became a lawyer.

I’ve taken plenty during my career.

I made sure to take at least one full week every year. Even as a first year, I knew that was a habit I needed to create. 

And…

For much of my career, I worked a significant number of hours on pretty much every single one except for a handful that I can think of off the top of my head. Those were ones where I literally couldn’t (camping/hiking vacations with no cell signal).

And… I still spent most of those thinking and fretting about work. 

I could maybe enjoy a couple of days in the middle of my vacations - after a few days to unwind and before the winding up started again as I focused on what I would return to.

But I got a few days of enjoyment, MAX.

Typically, I experienced more guilt and anxiety and overwhelm and disappointment than any other emotion.

Guilt that I wasn’t working.

Anxiety over what wasn’t getting done.

Overwhelm about what was waiting for me when I got back.

Disappointment in the vacation for not being the magic pill that made me feel better and disappointment in myself for being unable to separate myself from work.

There is good news though. It can be done. Maybe not every time. Sometimes work is going to work. There will be deadlines that are out of our control. Emergencies that pop up. 

But there’s so much more in our control than we think.

My experience with vacations over the last 4 years has been very different than it was the first part of my career - even when I was still in BigLaw.

So I want to share with you this week some thoughts on how to get better at enjoying your time off from work.

⭐️First tip? Plan time off from work.⭐️

Sounds silly, I know. But too many lawyers don’t even make it to that first step of getting one on the calendar.

If you don’t have anything on the calendar, take some time today and plan something.

Even if it is just one day off or a long weekend.

Are you good at taking vacations?

What was your favorite vacation you’ve ever taken? 

📸:: This from a vacation that I planned 9 months in advance. The view from our window. We spent 10 days in Chile. I was anxious the entire time because I knew I had a pretrial order due when I got back, and I didn’t have cell signal or wifi for most of the trip. And I did indeed bill 180+ hours that month despite not working for the first 11 days, BUT being stressed about it and resentful on the vacation did not change that… It just impacted the trip. 

A ❤️ note to you: Are you also bad at vacations? I promise, you can learn to be better at them. Don't know how? I’ve got you. I help highly successful, overworked lawyers learn how to rest and relax. Sign up for a free call with me at jenndealcoaching.as.me/consult. On the call, we will (1) talk about the changes you want to see in your life, (2) I’ll tell you how coaching can help you make them, and (3) you’ll decide whether you’re ready to move forward with changing your life.