Life is about consistent forward motion. You probably put 10,000 to 20,000 miles a year on your car over the course of a year. What you don’t do is put all those miles at once. It happens gradually over a long period of time. You prepare for the journey by changing the oil, keeping things tuned up, and having an overall plan.  This logic applies to everything in life, yet we rarely see it that way.

Case in point, vacations and weight loss. If you lose weight gradually over time by eating right and exercising there is a good chance you will keep it off. It becomes a lifestyle. If you were to drop 20 pounds very quickly, you probably will gain all the weight back once you stop being fanatical. In fact, you will probably gain more weight back. So yes, you will end up fatter than if you never dieted at all. That’s the trouble with “all or nothing” plans.

Which leads me to vacations. Vacations are designed to let you recharge, retool, and get away from the office for a bit so you can be more productive upon your return. Guess what? That’s not what actually happens. What happens, is it takes about two days to get out of work mode. By the Wednesday of your vacation week you finally start to relax only to have to start preparing for work mode again. The extra energy it takes to switch gears actually makes you more exhausted. By the time you return to work, you have to power through the giant stack of stuff on your desk, and keep up with the new stuff rolling in. In essence you went on a crash “work” diet for a week, and gained it all back, plus more, when you return.

The only way to really beat the vacation problem is to have a great 2nd in command. The person watching the shop when you’re not around is worth their weight in gold. Pay them what they’re worth. Praise and appreciate them. They are your key to a life of sanity. Leaders need to be able to walk away and trust that the place will run without them. This happens by consistently grooming the people under them to take the reins when needed. An extremely tough task, especially in a workplace that has a “that’s not my job” mentality.

Finding people as passionate and who care as much as you is a big assignment. It can’t be done in a week, a month, or even a year. It takes consistent training, education and a leadership style that allows the troops to see the leader as someone who leads by example. When the boss is viewed as someone with honesty, integrity and an ability to see the big picture, people will respond positively.

You prepare your food for a diet. You prepare a workout log. You prepare your day so you can live a healthier lifestyle. Prepare for everything, than go with the flow. If you don’t the weight will pile back on with a vengeance. The key to success is the proper preparation and consistently following the plan..Have you prepared the person who will lead the charge in your absence?

Now, if you gain weight while on vacation, well, that’s a whole another story to write about.