We are gearing up for festival season and through all the schedule planning, checking the camping equipment, verifying all licences are up to date, making reservations, and throwing twenties in the savings fund on the nightstand, it has me thinking, this isn't the way vacations are portrayed and often executed by Corporate America. I benefited greatly from having a music family, so we spent a lot of weekends driving to new cities, sometimes out of state, so we could all enjoy the time together. But traditional vacations were usually taken during the whole work week and you looked forward to it all year long. Imagine having to wait all year to enjoy that one week away from the office. Talk about burnout!
Over the last decade, with the Millennial generation being in full working force, the work to live mindset has shifted and instead are now working to flourish; taking on contract work or part time jobs in lieu of the 40 hr week dedicated to one career. A lot of studies have shown morale being more positive in the office and I completely believe that the ability to take time away to decompress regularly has attributed to most of that shift. With weekend long music festivals being held in major Cities across the US, Church and School carnivals and even career based seminars; young professionals are stepping out of the cubicle to get some sun. With part time work weeks, it's easier than ever to head out of town on Thursday after work and be ready to hit your desk come Monday morning. Some of my clients are even flying across the country for work, where they get to enjoy an extra day or two to explore new territory.
A major benefit to taking more time off is more creative flow during your office hours, which leads to better productivity as found by Indeed when they implemented an Open PTO policy.
Entrepreneurs have an amazing advantage with extended time off because their schedules tend to be more flexible. It just means we work harder WHILE working, because no one wants to miss deadlines or let their clients down. Being able to take extended weekends takes discipline and responsibility but the benefits of being able to hang out with your friends at local shows or go fishing with your kids is more than worth it. And if you see us at a festival or theme park this summer, say Hi!
Cheers to Festival Season!
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