I didn’t plan to write about “vacations” as a blog topic. It started when I went on vacation one spring. In advance I sent this email:

I will be on vacation April 23 – May 7.  Usually, when I’m on vacation, I maintain some phone and email contact. This time, I plan to be wholly unplugged.

Please contact me in the next couple days if there’s something you may need while I’m gone.  You’re welcome to send emails which I will check when I get back… feel free to mark yours Highest Priority if you would like me to read it first thing when I return.

If you have an urgent need to reach me, please contact my assistant.  She has emergency numbers for the houses we’re renting.

Outside of this break for reflection and adventure, I am delighted to have each of you in my life!

Mahalo (thank you) and Aloha,
Pam

To my surprise I received dozens of messages back… mostly “I want to do this!” Then clients kept asking me “How?” Was it possible we’re so used to being fully available that we’ve forgotten how to extract ourselves for a couple weeks?

So I wrote these seven simple steps, later picked up by Ritz-Carlton magazine.  If you want a real break these holidays, go for it!

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