My view last week
A funny thing happened to me about 10 days ago: I went on a vacation and turned my brain off.
Did I intend to do so? Not really. Did I have every intention of firing up my laptop to continue working feverishly? Absolutely. Did I actually do that? Nope. Do I feel guilty. Not at all.
For those of you keeping score at home (and I noticed a few of you were, which is really cool!), I’ve been gone for about a week and a half. Ventured on down to Southern California to enjoy the beach, the weather, Disneyland and a crowded commuter plane with a broken air conditioner. It was a GREAT trip, and part of the reason it was so awesome was because I stayed away from my computer.
Why You Need An Occasional Vacation
I could go into an academic tirade about the benefits of shutting your brain down every once in a while and reconnecting with the inner self, but that would require way more descriptive adjectives than I’m willing to write. So instead, I’ll sum it up with a little metaphor:
Remember cramming for college exams? The coffee, the Red Bull… whatever you could do to keep your eyes open and the information pouring in. That’s what I realized I had been doing with my Internet Domination strategy for quite some time. I had been focusing so much on hard work that I lost sight of darn near everything else. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I’d gone out and sat in the back yard during an exceptionally nice day. Just sat. Not thinking, not evaluating, not contemplating new Internet schemes.
And what made matters worse was, just like cramming for a big test, I wasn’t operating at peak condition. Kind of like a high performance race car sputtering and wheezing because of bad spark plugs.
I literally forced myself NOT to jump online. It was hard for a day or two, but after that it felt great. It was like the world was lifted off my shoulders… almost like I was on a vacation or something.
The result: I’m more energized, more focused and more determined than ever. And now that I’m refreshed, I’m already noticing increased productivity on my end. Not that I’m working harder, it’s just that I’ve got a fresh set of spark plugs, so I’m operating more efficiently and getting five times as much accomplished in the same amount of time with, from what it feels like, no difference in the amount of effort I’m putting into it.
Technically I did get online twice. Once to check the local movie times, and once to check on an acting gig I had been waiting on. And while online I perused my comments and replied to a few of them. But nothing super crazy. No 2,500-word posts, no new websites, no popping in on forums.
Have You Noticed This?
My vacation rocked. I loved it. And looking back on it I love that I stayed offline as much as possible.
But have you noticed the same effect? Do you force yourself to take a ‘recharge’ break every once in a while and let the laptop – and your brain - cool down? Do you have any great stories about it? I’d love to hear them; it’d make great motivation, as I’m a workaholic when it comes to my Internets, and your stories might be what I need to make vacations a regular part of my strategy, rather than a once-every-three-years (don’t laugh, it’s really been three years since my last vacation) foray.
Tags: Vacation
That’s awesome. I suck at vacation, I’m actually on it now.
.-= Mike Roosa´s last blog ..Hitting The Snooze Button =-.
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Alex Reply:
June 8th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
LOL! Really, man you DO suck then! (that can only be a good thing though man)
.-= Alex´s last blog ..Questioning Duplicate Content: Is it worth giving your content away? =-.
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Lee Reply:
June 8th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Haha! Mike you crack me up
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Mel from Instant Win Games Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
That’s a riot to be reading this WHILE you are vacationing! (sounds like me)
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I was beginning to worry Lee!
Good to know you took a break man, I know sometimes we become so entrenched in what we are doing that it takes a step outside to see the bigger picture. Can you see it now? you pumped mate?
I have not got a story per say, but considering that today is the second day of working from home full time it is all rather exciting and some what nerve racking. Oh yeah, and add a side of ‘holy crap’ to that as well
Stay tuned Lee, I have some rockin’ plans in the next few months.
Glad to have you back man, and looking forward to the revitalised Lee
.-= Alex´s last blog ..Questioning Duplicate Content: Is it worth giving your content away? =-.
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Lee Reply:
June 8th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Thanks for worrying, Alex – makes me feel good knowing people are looking out for me
“Rockin Plans” eh? Can’t wait!
Rock on
Lee
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Hi Lee,
Glad to hear that you took some well deserved time off. Vacations always help me focus also. Sometimes I’m ready for the vacation to end so I can get home and relax. I’m a creature of habit…
I’m looking forward to more stuff from you!
Scott Barron´s last blog…Was it Good for You
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..A Little Housekeeping Online =-.
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Lee Reply:
June 8th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Thanks Scott! Yeah, I had a blast. Even if it was on accident, it was nice to get away from everything for a while.
And I know all about being a creature of habit – probably why I haven’t left town for three or four years prior.
Rock On
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If you don’t take breaks – vacations – you will go completely brain dead. I’ve spent 12 hours infront of a laptop on a couple occasions. Eventually, I run out of ideas.
Taking brisk walks outside (30 minutes) can help you recharge yourself so you don’t go insane!
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Lee Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Joe!
I think I’ve been brain dead for at least a decade, haha! 12-hour days in front of a computer aren’t that uncommon for me either, and you’re right, productivity really starts dropping after the first 60-90 minutes or so. By the end I’m just dragging on, and probably should have quit hours ago and done something else to recharge my neurons.
I love walking, too. It’s great. It requires no real physical strain, gets some fresh air in your lungs, circulates your blood and makes you an overall better person. That last one might have been a stretch
Rock On
Lee
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I am sharing cat sitting duty with a friend of my neighbor while she’s away on holiday in New York. she has two plus a few kittens.
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Lee Reply:
June 9th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Nice! Is it recharging your brain?
Rock On
Lee
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I was seriously worried Lee. I am happy to see you back now. I always get that urge to take a few days off, but I shrug it off because I know that if I do, I may never come back. We all know that Scott doesn’t want that, lol!
.-= Brandon Connell´s last blog ..Piracy can make you money! =-.
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Scott Barron Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
True, I’m already missing Brandon’s 3 posts a day since he’s doing something else this week.
Scott Barron´s last [type] ..A Little Housekeeping Online
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Brandon Connell Reply:
June 12th, 2010 at 2:50 am
I was doing something alright. I have a new forum up, and I didn’t tell anybody until I launched it. lol.
Brandon Connell´s last [type] ..New forum!
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Vacations are certainly good for our health and our overall productivity but there is also an economical aspect to it. People going on vacation spend money, more money than if they remained home. Those money get taxed and can help improve the economy. People, take your vacation days, for your health and for your country’s economy.
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Brandon Connell Reply:
June 12th, 2010 at 2:52 am
The last time I went on vacation I spent $600 on food and junk. I bartered for the actual cottage at the Wisconsin Dells, but that didn’t mean anything when I broke out the cash.
Brandon Connell´s last [type] ..New forum!
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Wow, 3 years since your last vacation? Even I’m not that bad! I’ve had to step away from my computer these last couple of weeks as I was feeling the same as you and was working way too much.
It’s difficult to turn the brain off though and not think about my internet ventures but I know what you mean when you say it is a must in order to really connect with your inner self.
Sometimes for me I find it hard to even take breaks while I’m on the computer but have learned to force myself and just take about 5-10 minutes of stretching and/or walking outside. I still struggle with this and need to work on it.
Vacations, breaks, they are all good for us, we definitely need to take them!
Anna
Anna Haller´s last [type] ..Traffic Results For Alex Jeffreys Contest
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Lee Reply:
June 15th, 2010 at 4:44 am
I hear you on that one, Anna – I’ve had days where I’ve spent an entire day looking at the screen, not even realizing the day is passing me by until I see the sun going down and I say to myself, “I should get out of my pajamas.”
Rock ON
Lee
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I think companies should embrace the opportunity for their employees to experience such positive things to further the end goal of overall productivity.
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That’s what your meta-self thought when he/she went into the matrix shop and asked to be given a reality-dream of the 21st century. When you woke up this morning your “previous” life was just installed memories. When you go to sleep you’ll wake up to a bill for the time you spent “on vacation” from the real world.
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Let’s just leave our useless brains at home and we’ll have a great time in Hawaii! Of course we won’t remember anything being brainless, but that may be for the best.
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I also took a 2 months vacation in my father’s place. I enjoyed it a lot. I almost forgot that I have work to do after that.. love to go back there maybe next year..
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Hey Lee,
Damn… wish I hadn’t read this post. You got me thinking about the quality of life. Again.
We launched a new seo service around 4 weeks ago now and the only time off I’ve had since then has been 3 hours spent in the local bar discussing business with some friends/collegues.
I’ve even let my blog go for a bit. As you can probably tell I’m very enthusiastic about what I do. I also love socializing with people, giving advice, etc but damn those 14 hour work days can turn me into an annoying bastard sometimes.
I’m this close to just shuttign the whole seo services thing down and having a short holiday and a good think about what I want to do next. Ahhhh!
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Lee Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 12:03 am
I just got back from a weekend vacation, and I’ve got to say that the whole “quality of life” thing really gets me pumped. I never realize how run down I get myself until I’ve had a chance to recharge the batteries.
14-hour days, eh? You’re a machine, my friend! It’ll pay off in the long run, I’m sure of it
Rock On
Lee
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Really! Even I’m not that bad! I’ve had to step away from my computer these last couple of weeks as I was feeling the same as you and was working way too much.
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