Going on vacation is not what it used to be. Even if it is for a few days. Before cellphones, computers, text messages and other 21st century communication technology, we simply called our clients or faxed them a brief note that went something like this:
“We’ll be on vacation the week of ____ and if you have any questions, please call ________. We’ll be checking in almost every day so if you need us, please leave a message with (name of assistant) and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible”
And off we went.
Not so simple anymore. The expectations to always be connected and always available are paramount. And when you are not, there is an element of “what-the-heck, where-is-he-frustration” that sets in. This does not make for good communications, happy customers, clients or business partners.
Now when we go on vacation, we are never really disconnected, no more than if we we were in our office. Only now we sit under an umbrella, drinking some silly drink with a parasol in it, working.
It’s the “New American Vacation.”
I wonder what would happen if everyone in the country put their cellphones down for one minute every day. No talking. No texting. No emailing. There would be absolutely no communication and total silence. It would be a one minute vacation every day.
What would you do during that one minute? Here are some random ideas?
- forget to turn off your phone
- wait for it to end
- think of something new
- think of something old
- remember something to do
- pray
- laugh
- smile
- cry
- scowl
- smile
- blow your nose
- cough
- write
- eat
- drink
- go to the bathroom
- cut your finger nails
- read
- drive
- work on computer
- listen to radio, i pod, i pad
- watch TV, computer
- run
- jump
- walk
- skip
- do math problems
- spell something
- meditate
- do yoga
- take your pulse
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