Goldilocks & the 2-Week Recovery Period – Just Right

This porridge is too cold. This porridge is too hot. And this porridge is just right!

Just like Goldilocks, we often wonder how much vacation time is just right? Many leaders simply find it difficult to take a vacation at all and in this article, we’re going to stretch ourselves further and aim for a minimum of 2 weeks’ vacation as the norm for each getaway. One week is too short; 2 weeks is just right! (Is there such a thing as a vacation that is too long???)

What makes 2 weeks the right amount of time? Here are a few reasons to consider:

2 Weeks off is just right to Unwind & Recover:

The bottom line is that it simply takes time to unwind.

Your mind can’t downshift from 60 miles per hour to 10 without stepping through the intermediary gears. Right out of the gates, your brain is still fully engaged, revisiting outstanding actions on your plate, worrying about leaving your team in a lurch, and stressing about what actions are piling up for when you return. It takes a few days to distract yourself from these worries. By mid-week you downshift into unwind and start enjoying yourself, your company, and your setting. If you are only on a 1-week vacation, your brain will immediately upshift back into work mode – negating any tangible recovery and rejuvenation you hoped to gain.

What’s a leader to do? Revisit your strategy and adjust accordingly. A simple solution is to add at least a second week. In effect, you buy yourself one full week of recovery time before your brain starts ramping back up into work mode – 2 weeks is just right.

• o  Rewind and cut to the scenes in your last vacation when you (a) were still wound up in full work mode, (b) started to chillax, and (c) ramped back up.


• o  What did each of these experiences feel like?


• o  How long did each phase last?


• o  What helps you unwind and recover quickly? Fully?

2 Weeks off is just right for your Team to Act Unilaterally:

While we’d all like to think that our team is fully capable and will immediately rise to the occasion to tackle all actions while we are away, the reality is that most folks are busy and therefore will sit back and wait until you return. Many colleagues and subordinates will readily wait a week on actions and defer to you when you come back. The key therefore is to extend your vacation beyond this threshold. While most people can reconcile waiting a week on an action, two weeks seems a bit too long. As such, your team will [likely] step up and take care of the actions while you are gone for two weeks or longer. This takes the stress off you and frees your plate from unnecessary piles when you return.

The key therefore is to be away from the office long enough to break the procrastination cycle – 2 weeks is just right.

• o  Flip this around, how do you handle actions while your boss is away?


• o  What triggers you to act versus defer to the boss’s return?


• o  What lessons can you learn from this?


• o  How do you model the behaviors you want to see?


• o  How do these apply to times when you’re the boss and are away?

2 Weeks off is just right to Help Your Team Reduce Their Backlog of Actions:

Another benefit of having the leader away from the office is that naturally the number of meetings tend to reduce as does the volume of emails and taskers. Your workforce will appreciate the brief reprieve in your energy and attention to detail on their work. That’s a little tongue in cheek yet apropos. Your employees may smartly use the time to catch up on older actions, clean up the finer details, perhaps get ahead on a few items, and recharge themselves.

• o  What does it feel like when you get time to tackle the backlog?


• o  What would it feel like to return from vacation to see your team has tackled their backlog?


• o  What might it do to their morale, too?

2 Weeks off is just right to Resist Calling the Office:

You must also resist the temptation to contact employees while you are on vacation [or while they are on vacation, for that matter]. Trust them to be able to handle any situation that arises while you are gone and to know when to reach you in an emergency. Take time to put your expectations in writing so that they and you are clear on what needs to be done while you are away. Ensure clarity of purpose, guiding principles, and results - yet do not be prescriptive on how. Allow your employees to stretch, grow, and be creative in achieving results.

• o  What thresholds or conditions must be met before your employees contact you while you are on vacation?


• o  How high can you comfortably set this bar?


• o  How can you set clear expectations to preserve and respect your personal boundaries?

2 Weeks off is just right to Get the Juices Flowing:

Ever had that moment of brilliance while taking a shower? It happens because you are completely relaxed, distracted by the warm water, enjoying an increased dopamine flow, and feeling great. These are the same feelings that occur when you’re in the relaxed, downshifted state of vacation.

• o  When are you most relaxed?


• o  What gets your juices flowing?


• o  When are you most creative?


• o  How can you recreate these moments while on vacation?

2 Weeks off is just right to Build a Habit for Yourself:

Find the pattern of rest, recovery, and rejuvenation that you need to stay energized on the job and with your loved ones. Some folks take a full month off. Others take one week each quarter. Some create 3-day weekends every week. 2-weeks in a row off is a magic number… and many employers require executives to take at least 2 consecutive weeks off per year for their own wellbeing and to walk-the-talk.

• o  What pattern of time off energizes you the most?


• o  If you could take any amount of time off without any negative ramifications, how much time would you take?


• o  Develop three options that work for you.

2 Weeks off is just right to Set the Example:

As the leader, you are always being watched and studied. Be an example for your workforce by valuing wellness for yourself and for the team.

• o  Where are you the model?


• o  Where can you improve?


• o  What actions and behaviors can you introduce that shift you closer to this ideal?

It’s ok to take baby steps and ease your way into a full 2-week vacation. If you can rip the band aide off, go for the 2 weeks. If not, start with a long weekend and set your stretch goal to reach 2 weeks by next summer.

Any amount of time off is valuable. Commit to booking your pattern of days off on the calendar this week. Look across the next 12 months, find days/weeks and mark them as vacation time on your calendar now. Like all change, the key is to create micro habits. Start building these habits for yourself, your loved ones, and your team today!

If your current level of stress is too much and your last time-off was too short, then make your next vacation just right!

Check out these articles:

“Vacations: It's Time to Get Away”

“Trust & Empower Employees Through Your Vacations”

“Incommunicado Adventures”

“True change takes place in the imagination.”
- Unknown

Thank you for reading! I am an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) specializing in Performance Coaching for Senior Executives, Flag Officers, and STEM professionals, and mental fitness for all. Don’t miss out on information and techniques that can take you to the next level. Schedule your one-on-one coaching here!

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