Are Vacations Necessary?
Jul 03
It’s been 13 months now since I have had a job, and I was just realizing today that the thought of taking a “vacation” hasn’t even crossed my mind the whole time.
I remember when I did work, I was constantly planning my next break from the grind; and I actually liked my job and even my work environment.
I work just as much now, if not more, as I did then.
Why did I constantly want a break from my job so badly?
The answer has to be time freedom. Everything else is about the same for me now as it was in my job, with one exception. Now I don’t have to be on a clock. I just have to do my work. If I get to my “office” at 7am or 2pm … no diff.
I don’t have any structure, which gives me a much greater sense of freedom: even though I work the same number of hours!
No managing of perceptions around Chez Jon, but at the office it was a big part of the effort of the job. Showing up at work when sick, to impress the boss. Sticking around looking busy until 4:30 even though you could have left at 2 and it wouldn’t have made any difference.
The cost of all of these things is the desire to “get the hell outta here” for a while every so often.
In the world of super high recruiting costs and high powered staff retention programs, you’d think some employers would realize that time freedom is a key issue for employees.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to take a cruise or hit the mountains every now and then, but the fact that I haven’t even thought of it for 13 months just showed me that I can work and feel like I’m on vacation at the same time. Which is nice.
This post was written by Jon Symons, see my short bio. Or use the contact page to get in touch.
That’s great, it means you’re happy doing what you’re doing. When you have a 9-5 job that ties you down a ‘vacation’ equals freedom from obligation. In reality, it often becomes a stressful quickie trip somewhere or a short period of trying not to check emails from co-workers.
Very cool indeed Jon!
Although my work environment is very “friendly”, I know what you mean with the feeling of freedom. I am still young and rather new to the online business world. Like most I thought it would be “quick and easy”, but when you get your hands dirty you realize how deep the foundation needs to be.
Freedom. To me this means CHOICE. Working a 9 to 5 or a 7 to 7 in my case, does not afford one freedom of choice, most of the time.
The web world does offer this, but it takes time and perserverance and focus on the right stuff. I made a list of all these, “right stuff” published it and look at them every day…ticking them of one by one…really fun, when you have a plan!
Thanks for sharing!
PS. I was wondering, is it bad style to post a link in a comment like this if the link is relevant to your comment and the post, even if the link is to somewhere on ones own sites? This is apart from the Name link up top of course… Thanks!
It isn’t bad style if the link is relevant. I can always delete it if I don’t like the link.
I think I’ve only taken 1 real vacation since I have been working online (about 40 months or something). I would like to take more vacations, but the nice thing, as you say, is that you don’t feel like you have to.
Well travel is my weakness so I still like to take my vacations, won’t ever give them up.
But the time freedom is great.
Going to the bank or the doctor’s office or… while most everyone else is at work.
Saves time.
Good Post! It’s weird how that works out. When you have the 9-5 job, all you can think about is a vacation but I can definitely see how working for yourself and truly loving what you’re doing would make you forget about wanting a vacation…as nearly every day would be a vacation because you enjoy what you’re doing. I can only dream about getting to that point…maybe someday.