While taking a vacation or a long weekend, your career may be the last thing on your mind. However, there are key ways to use this time to your advantage in work and in life. Here’s how to use time off to advance your career:
1. Take Advantage of Travel
Consider downloading a business or work-related podcast for that road trip. Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. For instance, if you normally listen to entertainment, download TED Radio Hour, Freakonomics Radio or HBR IdeaCast.
2. Reflect
Reflection is a crucial part of growing, but we often don’t have the time. Time off is perfect for thinking and journaling. Revisit goals you made at the beginning of the year. Evaluate where you are and what you need to do to stay on track.
3. Mingle
While you’re standing around the grill or out to eat, try not to forget about opportunities to expand your network. After all, you never know what connections may be hidden in the most unlikely places. Consider keeping your LinkedIn app turned on in case you meet someone new and strike up a business conversation. The “find connections near me” feature on the app is a great tool to easily connect with people.
5. Pick Up a Good Book
There’s nothing quite like diving into a new book to relax during a vacation. Consider picking up a book on leadership to improve your management style, like Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last. Or, if you’re looking to refresh your career and ignite your motivation, try Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. These page-turners can help spark new ideas and provide insights to advance your career.
6. Recharge Your Batteries
Sometimes, the best way to recharge is to unplug. Allow yourself to take time to yourself or relax and unplug from email, if possible. It could be just what you need to come back to work ready to hit the ground running!
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