Get On Back to Work

Well, here we are. January 5th and my winter vacation has run its course. It's been an unusual one for sure, since for the first time in a very long while I actually took the entire two weeks and did essentially nothing. This was a major departure from my behavior over the last 10 years where every extended time off from my day job was filled with some other kind of work--writing books and articles, working on the house, speaking at conferences and on and on. Even when not actively working I've been in this heavily-connected, always-on worldwide community of people that are available 24/7 through a newsgroup, blog, and now, God help me through the wonders of twitter, right in my pocket.

Disconnecting from all of that isn't easy, but over the last two weeks I've set out to unplug, turn off, and slow the heck down for a while. And while my Puritan work ethic stabbed me occassionally with pangs of guilt for having nothing more involved in my day than some time sitting in the sun and reading, it's been a good time for me to relax, pause, reflect, and just rest for a while.

But now the trips to the beach, the time out on the boat, the long afternoon naps and the lazy days of winter are over, and it's time to get back to work. Lots of projects and deadlines are sitting in my cubicle waiting for me, and I expect a low hum to emit from our mail servers as everyone goes back to work today and starts the process of grinding away once again.

For me, I think I've learned some lessons about achieving a better balance between work and the simple human need to slow down and rejuvenate from time to time. It's been fun and relaxing, but now it's time to get on back to work.