JUST ONE MORE THING TO DO

I admit, this is a sentence I used to repeat often – at home, in the office, even on vacation. But not anymore. Stories we know and a body that says “enough” eventually stop you. Until it happens to you, you just wave it off.

For some time now, I’ve noticed I no longer have the energy to work late into the night. Age? Maybe. But when your body “gently” says: “hey, that’s enough,” you stop. In the previous issue I wrote about how important it is for me to finish open tasks before vacation and clear my desk. And how was it this time during the holidays? I said “just one more thing to do” maybe twice. Reason? Summer lull? A warning from the body? A strict wife? Probably all of it. But the fact remains: everyone needs rest and disconnection.

Digitalization has brought us to the point where we’re reachable anytime, anywhere. If so, let it also help us disconnect. By the way – no, in my “out of office” message I don’t write: “I’m on vacation and have the right to disconnect.” I’ve only seen that twice or three times – and of course in public administration. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against people resting on vacation, but to write that into an automatic reply? That seems a bit silly to me. And at least in this area, we were among the first countries to make this a legal right. Good for us. :)

Still, a simple notice helps. Or muting notifications. This year I made a step forward: in the morning I skim through messages, if something urgent comes up, I respond, same in the evening. Nothing more. If it’s not on fire, it can wait.

What else helps? If your wife brings you a cocktail or a cold beer – of course, not with an angry look. Then I know I have to stop immediately…

Otherwise, it’s the same as last year: vacation is a time for rest, but it also brings new ideas. This year, too, there were quite a few – not only for existing solutions, but also completely new, simple ones. In Bosnia you get them quickly, since many things are still quite behind there. And for me that means even more thinking and ideas, while my brain already struggles to handle all these wild thoughts. During the day they barely calm down, and by early morning they’re already waking me: “Good morning, what mischief shall we come up with today?” – even though it’s still dark outside. Yes, I’d mute them, but that takes a longer disconnection.

That’s why I cut down work during holidays significantly. And good rest also means not overplanning what we’ll do. I’m not the best at that yet, since the kids go along too. But that will soon end – they’ll grow up and won’t want to join anymore.

Looking at the bigger picture: we’re just rushing. The world spins faster and faster. In the private sector, especially in the start-up world, the mantra is “you’re too slow, others will outrun you.” But you know what? Let them. Better that, than being outrun by “Matilda.” I’d rather have a cocktail, pick up a book, or spend time with family and friends. We are social beings – and that’s what we need.

And the point? Work will wait, we might miss something here and there. But time with the people we love – that won’t.