Vacation Calories Don't Count

The discipline you build when you’re not on vacation is what earns you the freedom to enjoy yourself when you are.

What I'm Noticing

I heard someone say recently that vacation calories don’t count. Cute, right?

Not literally, of course, but the mindset shift that happens when you step away from the routine… It’s real, and it matters.

You build discipline into your days, systems, habits, and early mornings… That's what earns you the freedom to be fully present somewhere else. To eat the thing. Order the drink. Stay up a little later. Sleep in a little longer.

The vacation isn't a deviation from the plan. It's evidence that the plan is working.

The key is making sure the routine comes back on Monday. I’m actually ready for it, which is evidence that the vacation worked too…

This Week's Read

91% of your customers would refer you if you asked. Only about 11% of salespeople ever ask.

That's not a prospecting problem. That's a behavioral problem. This week's blog is about who to ask, how to ask, and what you get out of the conversation beyond just a name and a number.

Read it →

Deeper Thought

Last week's prompt: What makes a great day?

A great day for me feels like progress. Things don't need to go perfectly, I just need to feel like I did something I'm proud of and moved in some direction that matters.

This week has been full of great days. Quality time with my family. Really seeing them. Experiencing things together. It’s my daughter’s facial expressions and body language when she’s looking at tidepools. It’s my son coming out of his shell a little more. It’s the knowing glance I share with my wife that these are exactly the days that we’re living for…

This week's prompt: What drains your energy?

Take a walk. Think about it. Come back and reply to this email, or drop it right into the comments.

I'll share mine next week.

What I'm Into

It's the first full week of April, which means they’re playing golf in Augusta, Georgia. That makes golf season official in my part of the country (though the weather is still dodgy), and it means I may be a little distractable on Friday afternoon.

The Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals will be on my seatback screen this morning as we fly home. Watching these junior golfers competing on hallowed ground with all the hope and determination in the world, and sharing it with their parents…

No, those won't be tears in my eyes. Maybe in yours...

The Shoutout

The last four years have been, shall we say, a ride.

Triumphs, shortcomings, elation, heartache, the occasional "what the hell am I even doing?" It's easy to say now, with a little distance, that it was all exactly as it should have been. Less easy in the moment.

The constant throughout all of it has been these three.

Ian just turned 15. Already taller than me, and one of the kindest people I know. There's a wisdom and curiosity about him that most people his age haven't found yet, and he still has no idea how far that dimple in his chin is going to take him.

Allyson turns 17 this summer. Already more stage presence than I'll ever have, and she's the picture of elegance off of it. Laurah and I gave her Grace as a middle name, and she's effortlessly living up to it.

Laurah’s the one that holds I all together. The most important decision you'll ever make in life is who you'll spend it with. I couldn't have chosen better.

Our values are aligned, she's a counterbalance to me in all the right ways, and if either of us can take credit for our kids, it's her.

Vacations make you stop. You think differently. You take stock.

I'm looking forward to so much, and it's because of these people.

The Nudge

Hey, are we connected yet on LinkedIn?

Every week, I realize how many of you have been on my mailing list for years, but we aren’t connected there. Let’s fix that.

Cheers,
JB

P.S. In a LinkedIn post earlier this week, I mentioned that one of my Top 5 Beers is the first beer of vacation. A friend asked for the rest of my list.

Here it is, in no particular order, and subject to change:

• First beer of vacation

• Beer after yardwork on a hot day

• Beer when you reconnect with an old friend

• Beer after a long week or a big project (or before one…)

• Beer at lunch

It should go without saying that it doesn't have to be a beer. It’s not even about the beer. It’s about the moment when you realize that life has been good to you, and you want to cherish it.