In this newsletter, I want to share something that’s been on my mind lately and get your thoughts. I’ve talked before about how I try to spend money on experiences, but one thing I’ve been struggling with is not having enough time off from work to take all the trips I want. I know some people prefer to save up as much time off as possible, but I’m the opposite—I’m always looking for a good opportunity to take time off. Recently, there have been more opportunities than I have time off for, so I’ve had to decide which experiences are worth using time off for. How do you decide when it’s worth taking time off?
I also believe that taking more frequent breaks from work, rather than just one long vacation, helps avoid burnout and boosts productivity in the long run. But planning vacations can be tough, especially when you’re coordinating with friends or family, since everyone has different schedules. One strategy I’ve started using is planning annual, recurring trips with friends. It works well because everyone knows they need to plan ahead if they want to join. This approach has also made me think about how recurring plans, in general, can help ensure you spend time with the people who matter. As we get older, everyone’s lives get busier, and spontaneous hangouts become harder to manage. Whether it’s volleyball after work on Wednesdays, trivia nights, or happy hour Fridays, having set times makes it much easier to get together. This is something I plan to do more often—create more recurring hangouts, both short term (weekly) and long term (monthly or even annually), so I can stay connected with friends.
Lastly, something I hadn’t really considered until recently is how different careers offer varying schedules, which is something young people should keep in mind when choosing a career. For instance, some jobs are seasonal and have “built-in” time off, like teaching or firefighting. Others offer different weekly schedules, such as working three twelve-hour shifts instead of the typical five eight-hour ones. Some jobs are hourly while others are just based on the amount of work. There are so many factors like this that I wish I’d been more aware of when I was choosing my career path. I’ve been thinking about writing a longer post on what I wish I knew when deciding what to study in college—or even whether to go to college at all. Most of you reading this have probably already passed that stage in life, but let me know if that sounds interesting!
I hope you have a great rest of the weekend, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on taking time off! Feel free to reply on social media or email ([email protected]).