What a preposterous idea: you should work on vacation. Aren’t you already overworked? Don’t you need time to relax, refresh and get perspective? Don’t we work too much and get too little time off? Yes, yes, and yes. But you should still consider doing some work on vacation. Here are some reasons why.
Psychologist Julian Jaynes has stated that the most creative ideas often arrive unexpectedly, when not working directly on things, and in the most mundane places. Students of creativity refer to this as the three B’s: the Bed, the Bath, and the Bus. When relaxing on vacation, you have the opportunity to capture these ideas, and they are likely to pop into your head anyway. If you are like most people, you give yourself little or no time during the workday to daydream about your future. When on vacation, why not simply write down big ideas as they occur, perhaps on a small pad kept in your pocket? Or dedicate a few minutes in the morning jotting down ideas that you want to consider. If you enjoy your line of work, generating these ideas should be fun. Just collect them, don’t analyze them in detail.
Here’s another reason to work on vacation. Some people are able to completely forget about their work while on vacation, but most of us have worries or moments of guilt about leaving our responsibilities behind us. Taking a few minutes to jot down ideas and plans each day can quell some of these feelings. Just don’t turn it into a chore.
Finally, note that many people work on vacation despite feeling guilty about it. If you are one of these people, simply acknowledging that it’s ok to do some work and sticking only to the most enjoyable work can help you feel better during the time you take off.