6 Reasons to Hit the Reset Button

I have just made a significant career move. After 12 years, I’ve stepped down as President of IOR Global Services and am exiting ownership of the company. With a great job in a great industry; a great boss with great employees; and a 10-minute commute on top of that, what the hell am I doing?!

This is the YEAR OF "RE.” Retire, recharge, reboot, reconnect, revisit and reinvent. Everyone needs a break from time to time. How many of us have become robots heading to work each day, occasionally missing our highway exits as we lose our mindfulness? Americans, in particular, neglect to take their entitled vacation. According to Project Time Off, 52% of Americans left more than 700 million days on the table. Even if we Americans do take time off, a Glassdoor survey indicates that 61% of us dummies actually work on vacation!

Personal benefits of taking a break include feeling more emotionally positive and less depressed. A hiatus also contributes to more creative outcomes and engagement upon return. And, overall, a person has a better sense of well-being and purpose.

Companies benefit from employees taking a leave of absence, and some of the more progressive companies even offer a paid benefit to do so. In 2017, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that the percentage of companies offering sabbaticals rose to nearly 17% of employers. Why are companies being so nice? According to Harvard Business Review, when employees leave, it forces the company to “stress test” their org chart and provides openings for employees to develop further. This is just one of the reasons I decided to leave. My departure allows the organization to shake things up a bit and create new leadership opportunities for those who may otherwise stagnate in their careers.

So, what’s my process look like?

1.    Retire– no, I’m not “retiring” in the traditional sense. But, I am retiring, like we all do every night, when we head to bed, withdrawing from activities, allowing my mind and body to rest.

2.    Recharge – like a lithium-ion battery that needs recharging, so too, do we need to refill ourselves with energy. The plan is to properly fuel my body and mind with healthy food and interesting books!

3.    Reboot – when a computer has too many tasks running, or programs are not opened and closed properly, hitting “control+alt+delete” will shut the system down, allowing the machine to organize the allocation of resources to make it function properly again. This is an important step to get back into the game.

4.    Reconnect – with a little free time, I look forward to rebuilding deeper authentic connections with my family and loved ones. My own daughter is in the midst of hitting her own reset button, and I am fortunate to have my son home for the summer, as well, to solidify deep ties.

5.    Revisit – a trip revisiting my past comes next, as I clean out my closets and basement! Rifling through an expat’s accumulation of material goods and memories over decades can be a daunting task.

6.    Re-invent – this is the exciting part! I’ll find the new path which is yet to be determined.

I REserve the right to alter this process along the way. My kids already have a bet on the table that I’ll be back working LONG before the year of “RE” ends. I welcome your comments on ways you REvitalize you!