Take Advantage Of Your Holiday
I expect you know at least 1...or 5 people taking a holiday over the next 6 weeks. Lots of your friends and colleagues will be taking advantage of school summer holidays to take a holiday for a couple of weeks.
So whether you're one of those heading off on holiday, or the person left holding the office fort (waiting for cheaper flights, right?!), August is a perfect time of year to think about your career.
If you're off on holiday, it can be VERY tempting to get there, switch off your brain, and stay that way until your return flight is called.
I am a huge advocate of taking a break to de-stress, unwind and relax. But here are a couple of ideas to make your holiday even more useful:
1) Learn something new - pick up some phrases in a new language, taste food you've never had before, try yoga for the first time, go kite-surfing.
Wherever you are, there will be something new you could try - take the opportunity to expand your horizons.
2) Read a non-fiction book. Up until a couple of years ago I was totally guilty of airport beach fiction purchases (mainly crime thrillers and cringe romances, in case you're interested). I'm still guilty, but I mix them with a couple of non-fiction books.
How about something that could advance your career like a personal development book - I love Gay Hendricks - 'The Big Leap'. Or how about a book about world history or digital innovations? You might find something that sparks your curiosity and at the least it gives you something interesting to talk about.
3) Think about your career. Once you've had 2-3 days of 'no work', challenge yourself to reflect on your current role for an hour. Is it right for you? What could you do to improve it? Do you need a new job?
Often detaching yourself from your work situation for 1-2 weeks makes you more objective and renews your energy. Take the opportunity to assess what you think & feel about work and plan some actions for when you're back in the office. It could be a coffee with a stakeholder, a re-write of your business plan, reviewing job pages for a promotion.
And it goes without saying, have an amazing holiday :)
If you're in the office over summer, it is fair to say corporates are much quieter than usual. You might even get a seat on the train! With your colleagues and clients taking a break, why not take the opportunity to schedule some time to focus on you and your career.
Dust off your development plan and make progress in August while your job is less demanding.
Whether you're on holiday or not, use August to reflect on what you want. I'd love to hear your ideas - drop me an e-mail and let me know what you'll be focussing on.
