Work Hard Play Hard

Well, thanks to the TSA I made it safely to Miami and I have come to a critical realization. My epiphany is that vacation is so much better than working. I don't mean a little bit, but immeasurably so. As the years have transpired my need and desire for more vacation time has increased. At first I took a couple of vacations a year for several days each. Now I need to have a vacation planned every 3 months and not just for a few days but it seems to have stretched into 7-10 days per vacation. I used to feel guilty when I took time off but now I have the need to have planned or to be planning at least two vacations into the future.

The paradox is that I suspect I enjoy vacation so much only because of how difficult and stressful work is. I think one's enjoyment of vacation is directly proportionate to the difficulty, the work hours and the stress of one's occupation. It seems that I cannot tire of vacation time but I suspect if I take too much vacation at some point I will not enjoy it as much as it will become routine. I am still trying to find the right balance but for sure I am still vacation deficient and overworked.

At one extreme all work and no vacation leads to burn out on the job and ultimately poor job performance. The opposite case of all vacation and no work is termed retirement. I see many retired people in the office and I really don't think they can appreciate retirement. The reason is that they lack a balance between work time and leisure time. I do not have scientific data to support this observation but my anecdotal opinion is that older people that continue to work are healthier overall than their nonworking counterparts. So not only does work enable one to appreciate leisure time but it also leads to a healthier longer life (my opinion).

One of the best pieces of advise I have received and I try to pass along to my children is to work hard and play hard. It is about striking the right balance between work and play but additionally to put maximal effort into both. Leisure time is not just the absence of work but requires effort to achieve its potential. Playing hard enables one to be more refreshed and productive at work while working hard enables one to afford and appreciate his/her leisure time. This week I will try to play hard as I board a cruise later on today. As soon as I return though, I will be on my computer planning my spring and summer vacations.