Healthy Individuals = Successful Businesses #4

What about a vacation?

Maybe you've heard a story like this: "My dad always bragged that he didn't take a day off in 50 years. But after Mom died, he regretted that they never took that trip she dreamed of. He told me to be sure to get away with my family. I took his advice -- and I'm glad I did."

You probably can think of a hundred reasons why you shouldn't take a vacation. Here are some reasons you should:

· Spend time with your family.
· Gain a clearer perspective on the business.
· Create memories with your family that last a lifetime.
· Develop confidence that this can be done again (you may be surprised at who steps up while you are gone).
· Reduce stress by focusing your energies elsewhere.
· Discover how other people live (you might even gain valuable insights about your farm business).

Part of the stress release of vacations is in the excitement and process of planning what to do. Remember, vacations don't always have to cost a lot. A contingency plan to handle something going wrong on the farm is a must for the farm and for your ability to relax.

A 50-year-old farmer talks about how they viewed the barriers to taking a vacation this way:

"Every time we've taken a vacation, my husband feels better physically and mentally when we return. He's rested and upbeat. But that also makes it hard to come back, sometimes, because we know what the workload is going to be like. What stops us from planning vacations isn't money, or people to fill in, because we have those, at least for the moment. It's this notion that we are indispensable, and no one else can do things quite as well when we're gone. Once we get beyond that, it's no problem!"

The take home message

Research indicates that individuals who take time away from work are better family members and better business people. Reflect and plan now to create alternatives that allow that to happen. But, most of all, make it become a reality in the near future.

Remember, no one on his or her deathbed says, “I wish I had spent more time working.”


Dr. Bob Milligan is Senior Consultant with Dairy Strategies, LLC and Professor Emeritus, Cornell University.

His insights come from 35 years of working with farm businesses. He also was an award-winning teacher in the fifth-ranked undergraduate business program in the country. Bob lives in St. Paul, Minnesota

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/

http://back2basicnutrition.blogspot.com/