Nearly sixty percent of Americans (58% according to the Deloitte 2024 Summer Travel Survey) reported planning a vacation for this summer. The number one motivator for travel? …rest and relaxation. But if you are like me, the motivation may not always be matched by the outcome. 

In my experience, vacations are fraught with high expectations. While absolutely necessary and beneficial, meeting the expectation of coming back refreshed and rejuvenated is harder than I plan. It starts with the impossible list of tasks and responsibilities I’ve set out to complete before leaving on vacation. Then comes an exhausting and sometimes stressful day of travel. Once we’ve settled into our accommodation, family quibbling is a given and it could take 2-3 days before I fully unwind. In the worst cases, I get sick - my body finally giving way after the adrenaline wears off from the constant turn of the hamster wheel. I’m lucky if I have two days of bliss, before I already start thinking about and dreading the pile up of work that waits for me when I return. Not to mention the emails I’ve read and responded to along the way. 

I’ll be the first to admit, I haven’t always had and still don’t have the healthiest habits around vacations. However, what has changed is my mindset about what really contributes to a sustainable pace and rhythm between work and rest. Taking two, one week vacations per year, is no longer the be all end all. The thought that two weeks out of the year could sustain me for the 50 other weeks is really crazy to begin with! 

To sustain rest and relaxation on a regular basis, beyond vacation, we need to create reserves of three things: 

1. Time: Having at least an hour or two of time each day, beyond resting, just for you.
2. Space: Having room to think and be, without pressure, obligation or adrenaline.
3. Energy: Having enough oomph to get through the day consistently and rest well at night. 

To have a reserve means you have more than you need. In today’s world, our time, space and energy is often over leveraged. We give out, more than we take in. But, you can’t run a car without gas. I don’t know about you, but I always fill my tank before setting off on a road trip.  Why don’t we do the same for our minds and our bodies?
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There are many benefits to building reserves of time, space and energy. When we build reserves we create the ability to choose to do what fulfills us and allows us to be our true selves. We give ourselves the space to grow and thrive. We are happier and more at peace. In turn we are more “attractive” to our friends, loved ones and colleagues creating successful and meaningful relationships. And remember those coveted vacations? Those actually become enjoyable because you no longer depend on them like trying to rehydrate from a tiny sip of water in a dry desert. 

To start your journey building reserves, think about these questions:

• What would it feel like to have reserves of time, space and energy?
• What would you be able to do or accomplish if you had these reserves?
• What is one thing you can start/stop doing right now to build reserves?

​Want to chat about what’s getting in the way of building your reserves? Reach out! And check out this idea bank to trigger your own reserve building steps. 

​At my recent high school reunion, I asked an old classmate how his summer was going. He looked at me straight on and said “quite honestly, its hard. Summers are hard with the kids in an out of camps, at home and trying to work at the same time.” I empathized with him as a fellow parent, business owner and community leader, and also took a bit of comfort in knowing I wasn’t alone. It was also healthy to see a man expressing some of the same sentiments I hear mostly from women.

Work-life balance is a common topic of conversation and one I hear frequently regardless of the circle of colleagues and friends I’m in. The challenge increases with age and upward career moves as the demands of children, care-giving, home and work responsibilities seem to pile up exponentially. Its not only the volume of demands but the quality of those experiences that can make anyone feel less than satisfied.

Like many people, I’m not a fan of the term “work-life balance". It suggests inherently that balance is possible and as we all know, it really isn’t. And contrary to common belief, those experiences aren’t compartmentalized. Feeling stress at work influences home-life and vice versa. Further, there is a more nuanced cause of those unsettled feelings.

The Gallup organization (of the Gallup Poll), has found in its research that the work-life balance conversation can be better framed around the idea of overall well-being. They break down well-being into five categories.

Career - you like what you do every day
Social - you have strong relationships
Financial - you manage your money well
Physical - you have enough energy to do the things you want
Community - you like where you live

What most attracts me to this framework is that it takes away the focus on time as the most significant factor in how we measure our lives.  Instead, the measure of overall well-being is the quality of each area.

So what’s the connection between leadership and well-being? The old way of thinking is that how someone feels about their well-being is a personal matter. That belief doesn’t hold up according to the Gallup poll research. They have found that how someone feels about their career is the most significant factor in how they measure their well-being. Second, how someone feels about their career is largely impacted by their work environment and especially the quality of their manager. Third, a poor working environment leads to dis-engagement and ultimately costs the global economy upwards of $8.8 trillion according to the latest State of the Global Workforce: 2023 Report.

The evidence is clear: addressing well-being is critical for company success. And the first place leaders can start is with themselves.

At the 2023 Women Leading Travel and Hospitality Summit in Nashville, Tennessee I gave a workshop on how to start addressing well-being called Banishing Balance: A New Paradigm for Personal and Professional Success. Sign up for my complimentary course which includes the workshop background presentation and practical information and exercises to get you started on a path to improved well-being.