I have a confession to make.. I was actually looking for ways to slack off (!) this post. A short cut, anything that could have saved me from the real work after a hot day on a lake… (I’m writing this as my holiday has just started. I promised myself to have all my three week blog posts written in advance. Well, no such luck, the days were just too busy.) So here I am, sitting in the old summer house, typing away, waiting for the men to return from fishing – very old fashioned isn’t it!).

I was exhausted coming here, Finland. We fly on Friday night and on Saturday morning drove 4 hours up to our place in the country. I was absolutely exhausted.

It felt good to feel exhausted, though. I felt I had deserved my holiday.

That feeling of ‘deserving’ made me think of how I could make my two weeks ‘off’ as special as possible.

1) Get all the stuff done before you go

Oh yes. I meant to finish this and all the other two blog posts due in my two week holiday! It’s such a great feeling going away when absolutely everything is done. Finished. Clean desk. Empty mind.

2) Let things wait

And because you finished what was urgent, now you can let other things wait. Sorry, but if you have some complicated DrivenWoman Membership requests while I’m off, they simply have to wait until I’m back in normal routine in August. Most things aren’t urgent at all (we just want to feel important) and all we have to do is to set up our automatic “I’m on holiday” response message.

3) Let things happen

Our summer place is where the family and friends gather. People come and go and there are always a lot of people to feed and entertain. I was always a bit too organised about all the lunches and dinners but have learned to chill a bit more now. I let the day take it’s natural course. What we end up having at the dinner table may be a result of many surprises, including luck on the lake.

4) Holiday is wasted if it’s not a holiday

I’ve just seen some pictures of me when I was 14, spending my summers in this old family house by the lake. All that excitement! Now I want to reach that care-free feeling of my teenage summers. I want to feel that total zero-responsibility again (to the degree one can, with small children). That’s the most efficient way I can spend my holiday.

All of this may seem obvious to many, but for those who are immersed in their project it’s a good reminder.

I admit it’s difficult to be on a holiday. I’m normally so excited about what I’m doing that I don’t want to stop. Or there may be a feeling of guilt, to make the business flourish one should be working on it at all times. (Screw that..)

I know the more I rest, the better ideas and sharper thinking my mind will deliver. There should never be a doubt in driven woman’s mind to go on a well deserved break.

Enjoy your summer!

~ Miisa