Life Balance

I returned from a week’s vacation today. Relaxed, recharged and relatively ready to go back to work. We spent the week on Silver Lake in Wautoma, Wisconsin. After taking the time off, I wonder why we don’t do more of it.

We all know taking time off is healthy, both personally and professionally. The evidence is more than adequate that time away from work is good for you and good for your business. The research is also clear that CEOs are the worst offenders when it comes to “down time.”

While on vacation I had the opportunity to play golf with a TEC member who has a beautiful home on Silver Lake. He and his wife use it regularly, mostly on summer weekends. My CEO TEC member was playing relatively well through about the first 13 holes. Then, his cell phone rang. He answered it. Handled some business…it was Friday afternoon, after all. Then, he went to the tee box to hit his Big Bertha on 14.

The CEO hit his tee shot into the woods. His recovery shot hit a tree on its way out. He hit a worm burner on his third whack at it. Eventually, made eight on a relatively easy par 5.

I wondered how well the CEO might have played had that cell phone call not come in. I wondered how much of a distraction the little electronic device contributed to the sense of frustration he felt after seeing a nice round of golf turn to dog do. I wondered about work-life balance and how we’re all caught up in it, in one way or another.

One final TEC principle about CEO time off. If you take your spouse, it is a vacation. If you take your kids, it’s a trip. Vacations or trips, take the time. It is good for you and your business.