I just got back from a two-week vacation. A common reaction I get is, “Wow. How did you pull that off?”

I didn’t always do this. I started taking 2-3 week vacations annually about 9 years ago. The thing that triggered it was the purchase of an RV for our family of six. Sure, you can take your RV out for a weekend, and we do, but if you really want to use it for what it’s capable of, you need contiguous blocks of time. We started dreaming about the places we should go, and year after year, we made our plans.

Using PTO

Most professionals I know struggle to use their PTO. They are passionate about their jobs, committed to their cause, and frankly have a hard time letting go of it. Professionally, I’m right there.

There’s another very important role in my life: I’m a family man. I’m a husband to my wife of 23 years, and father to our four kids, ranging in age from 10-18.

Here’s the conclusion I came to: I would never steal from my company by embezzling funds. That would be unethical. I’ve decided that I should never let my earned PTO go unused. If I did, I’d be stealing time from my family. You may not see it that way, but that’s how I see it.

Blocks of time

It’s relatively easy to take Fridays off during the summer and the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s quite difficult to take a block of 2-3 weeks off in one shot, but it can be done, and it’s worth the effort.

Here’s what I do:

• I plan in advance. Usually 4-5 months in advance, sometimes even longer.
• I communicate in advance. People know that I’ll be out and can plan their schedules accordingly.
• I delegate and empower key leaders who can take care of anything that comes up in my absence. This leader is “on-point,” acting as my agent.
• That on-point leader and my boss can call me on vacation if they need to, but my phone rarely rings. I’ve probably fielded 3-4 phone calls on vacation in 9 years, and always from the leader I’ve empowered who needs a little help. My boss hasn’t yet.
• Lose the guilt trip. Yes, there’s a mental element to this. You’ll feel guilty leaving for 2-3 weeks, but get over yourself and just do it.

Here’s a stark truth to remember: If things go smoothly while I’m out, that earns me the opportunity to take another long vacation next year. If everything falls apart when I’m out, then I messed up something above. So far, that hasn’t happened, but it’s a strong motivator for me to do it well.

Now, some of you need a little inspiration. You think to yourself, “I’m not sure what I’d do for 2-3 weeks.” Well, that’s up to you, but I’ll share what we’ve done over the past 9 years:

1. Badlands, Black Hills, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton
2. Northern Rockies: Glacier in Montana. Banff, Yoho, and Jasper in Canada
3. Northeast: From Virginia to Maine, then Niagara Falls
4. Southwest: 9 National Parks across Arizona, Utah, and Colorado
5. Southeast: Missouri, down to Louisiana, over to Florida, up to North Carolina
6. Pacific Northwest: Lake Tahoe, Redwoods, Crater Lake, Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades
7. Alaska: Anchorage, Denali, Seward, and Homer
8. Costa Rica: (Not an RV trip) San Jose, Tamarindo, and La Fortuna
9. California: Hoover Dam, Joshua Tree, San Diego, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Lassen

That’s it so far. We’ve camped in 49 states, visited 41 national parks, and already scheduled Hawaii for next year.

If any of those itineraries inspire you, hit me up, and I’ll gladly share more details.

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