I was catching up with one of our busy clients recently when the subject of vacations came up. This client turned down some lucrative roles five years ago because they wanted a better balance of life, instead hanging out their own shingle. The business has gone very, very well.

So now, as they approach a big symbolic birthday, I asked about the balance of life part. “Not much to report there” was the answer. I introduced the idea of a three-week vacation — in part to celebrate the landmark birthday. The response was Wow! Really! So I asked what their longest ever vacation had been. “One week – maybe with an extra day or two” was the answer. I know from many conversations that they are certainly not alone.

But why? On a one-week vacation busy executives spend the first three days thinking about all the things they left hanging. Then they spend at least the last two days gearing up to get “back in the saddle”. One or two days of R&R is just not enough, particularly as we move up the age ladder.

So what about two weeks? Is that a good starting point? Better than one week, of course. But not if it is laid out to rush from place to place to see and do as much as possible. The alternative worth trying is three weeks, with every 3rd or 4th day being unscheduled. That leaves time to deal with any crisis that occur, yet still really enjoy some quality time off and with loved ones or friends. It is enough time to truly refresh, and feels so good the first time you actually do it. For example, we frequently combine a river for ocean cruise with a week “on land” in one or two places. Three weeks might be a week one place, the cruise, then a week at another location. That is a vacation!

While we are on the topic, my lovely wife has a “buy a ticket” saying. The idea is simple. If you say you want to do it yet take no action then in the end something will get in the way. If you buy a ticket you will put it on the calendar in ink and make it happen. As we emerge from COVID people are buying a lot of tickets for travel, and choices are getting leaner. So if you like this idea it makes sense to buy a ticket — even for 2023.