I’ve been thinking about hunting season. Not about getting out to the woods, but why there are established seasons and what it means to the herd. Hunting seasons were created as a means of population control, longer open seasons for when a population is overgrown and shorter seasons for when the animals need time to recover from, say, a harsh winter. The break from hunting gives the animals time to grow, nurture, multiply, reestablish themselves. And honestly, I think that is what vacation does for humans.
I’ve been off-season for a few weeks. Dipping a toe in here and there, but taking the time to grow my spirit, nurture my family, reestablish my roots. It has been a balm to my soul, a retreat for my mind and a stress reliever for my body.
And I tell you, right now, I can feel the fire building in my veins, that big rush to dive back into work just starting to scratch at the door. This break is fuel for my drive for success, and I cannot recommend it enough. How are you fueling up for hunting season? How are you fueling up for success?
A 2014 Oxford Economics Assessment of Paid Time Off in the U.S. showed 42% of employees with paid time off finished the year with unused days, leaving an average of 8.1 days unused. While thinking about this subject, I searched articles on how taking a break improves performance. There are articles in Forbes, Fast Company, the Harvard Business Journal on how working relentlessly actually makes people less effective at their jobs.
So hunters, take a break in your season. Decompress, unplug, breathe. Grow, nurture, reestablish. To everything, there is a season. Don’t forget there is one for you.
