Summer Vacation…or Not!
I remember Summer vacation. The feeling was amazing. Freedom. No schedule. Sleeping in. Yes!
I miss Summer vacation. As adults, we no longer get to experience that 10 week vacation.
Here’s the problem though. Every Summer, I go through the withdrawals and struggle with motivation. I see my kids home everyday. I watch them play when I come home for lunch. Everyone is still asleep when I get up for work. I want to be on vacation.
I am certain this will only be temporary, but this week I have no interest in doing anything.
What do you think? How can I get over my wtihdrawals?
What do you think: I hear ya.
How can I get over my withdrawls: Hey, I’m gonna be following the comment thread with you on this one.
Ric’s last blog post…Break Time
Your kids don’t get paid to be on vacation. Remember that.
Joel’s last blog post…Definition of a Worship Song
I have no advice here. Motivation is a daily struggle for me.
Joel makes an excellent point though!
Brandy’s last blog post…North Dakota is safe from global warming. I can assure you.
Ric, thanks for the help
Joel, you are correct, but sometimes I’d take the vacation even if it meant no pay. It’s not that I don’t love what I do. It’s about that motivation thing.
Brandy
um. well. ok. from sept. through the first week of june, every year, i get up wayyyy before everyone else does. thats nine months compared to your nearly 3. AND, I’M the one stuck home with this all day in the summer…
Mom, when we having lunch?
Can, 18 friends come over today?
I need some money for the market!
Mom, will you go to the park with me?
I’m bored. Are we doing anything today?
There’s nothing to do!
I’m hungry.
I wish Dad was here
tam’s last blog post…Love Links
Tam, so what’s the problem
I truly wish I could be there to hear that.
That’s exactly what I tell Patti. That side of the fence looks so greener from my cubicle point of view.
Ric, sometimes I just love to be in the house with all of them. It feels good.
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Indian Lake Papa’s last blog post…Please come pray with us! ( Major Correction!)
and we love for our man to be home with us..at least I do.. although I do work in the summer..
motivational cure –take an unscheduled day off and sleep in, do something just because you want to, and tell the world to wait..I call it worth day…and no bosses don’t usually like it, so just tell them you are taking a personal day, and that you would tell them the reason but its personal
i have done this and it has helped!
darla’s last blog post…Thursday Randomness
Darla, I do have to say that I have a lot of freedom with my schedule. I did not set my alarm today and still got to work at a good time, but I like your idea. Seems like lately, the only reason to take a day off is to do some sort of other work. Next week I may take a day off, but it will be to paint my parent’s house. I love it, but sometimes it seems there is always something to fill the time.
I think we are created to need times when we just have nothing planned and just enjoy life as a gift…even if it means watching the kids do nothing…and just remembering why we do it all…family is an awesome thing..if I can just have undistrubed time with them, without plans every now and then..it seems to do me a world of good..read a book without wearing a watch..and let a day be timeless.. i get to a point where I just need it..i tell them it is medicinal.. well it is sort of.
darla’s last blog post…Thursday Randomness
Darla, Agreed!
“What do you think? How can I get over my wtihdrawals?”
Morning worship 6:30 to 7:30 AM for 30 ‘business’ days, and you’ll be ‘hooked’ (i.e. motivated, inspired, revived, and able to endure anything — everything and more than you could ever imagine!).
Who knows but it might even help you with your spelling/typos?
I think the worship center is available, but I’ll be engaged in the same here.
D-
P.S. Did my ‘tomb’ show up (‘glad the stone is rolled away, whether the pic is there or not =)?
Hey lazrus2 glad you made it over.
I have not been reading as Id like lately, that would be a good motivator.
I love our morning prayer with the Pastor’s. It’s good for my spiritual side, but I still want to go home and hang with the kids when we are done
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Papa, you were stuck in spam…got ya out now
Papa, I like your Christian wine
I have a problem with motivation. I used to have to be at a 9-5 job everyday, but now that I’m working from home it’s sooooo hard to find the urge to get up and do something productive. I guess when the bills roll in, that’s motivation enough!
go to the pool & park ALOT on the weekends – it helps me feel like I’m enjoying and engaging summer time! Also, go to alot of Baseball games!
JudiFree.com’s last blog post…Don’t Misquote Me
My family homeschools so my kids are always home year round. Although recently I’ve had to work a lot of nights. It’s tough to leave home knowing I won’t see my daughters until the next morning because they’ll be in bed when I get home. So I can relate.
Scheduling family time helps keep me motivated. When I know I can look forward to seeing my family I can focus more at work.
Billy Chia’s last blog post…Sobbing Like an Infant
Well, it looks like the pic is working now.
Anyway, regarding your response to my previous comment, reading is good, prayer is even better, but both just ‘prelims’ to the life-changing part– solitary worship (i.e. extended alone time with HIM when nobody else is around, so you can hear HIM ‘talk back’too =).
I ‘dare ya’ — 30 days (in the early AMs)! Hey,the sun (Son =) is up by 6 AM now!!
D-
My parents were both teachers and had their summers off. It wasn’t until i graduated from college and started… you know… working… that it hit me…
summers have change
(sad doh)
Dave Carrol’s last blog post…No politics, religion or sex talk? I’m not sure I want polite company anyway.
heehee Papa’s was funny!!! Was it not real wine though? It froze in the middle when I watched it so I only saw the beginning and end.
TAMMY!!! You only get THREE MONTHS of that?
I get year round. And today, I am going nuts!!!! 
So nuts that I let them do something crazy…. check out my picture link. 
Brandy’s last blog post…PICTURES!!
OH! HAHA!! I see….martinelli’s! HAHA!!!
I should have known with the ice cubes!
Brandy’s last blog post…PICTURES!!
Maybe you should do a “Freaky Friday” switch… you stay home and the kids go to work…
My last job I had the summer off and paid too… I miss that but in exchange I had to live with 106 females.
Cheryl’s last blog post…The Tooth Watch – Day 77
Leslie, I think I would have a really difficult time if I always worked from home. Motivation would be hard to find.
Judifree, I love outings. but sometimes they make me not want to leave. I guess I need a big fill of them and then I’m good.
Billy, I don’t schedule well. I think you are right though. If I had more consistent schedules, I may be looking forward to things instead of just dreaming of them.
lazrus2, you are right and this is a good challenge. I do my best in spending that alone time with Him, but I truly struggle with it and my schedule. I am honestly considering the challenge.
Dave, my brother! I bet that Summer had more impact on you. That would be weird going from everyone always on vacation to not having that anymore.
Brandy, Martinelli’s is best on the cubes
Ooooh Cheryl, good idea! Not sure the Pastor’s would go for it though
HA!The kids would have them doing that cup trick and you’d be at home doing house work! You see, you can’t win!
Cheryl’s last blog post…The Tooth Watch – Day 77
Ya, not sure that would work out
I have never found any magical answer for getting motivated. The lazy, hazy days of summer are the hardest to get off my butt and doing something.
Whatever gets us excited the most is the likely to be the thing that will provide the best motivation to get moving.
Upbeat music, that stats my heart pumpin, works to start my motor running. Reading funny stories usually helps me get past mental blocks.
Aren’t you supposed to working out? Exercise is a good way to shake off the blahs.
Like everything else it’s that first step getting started that’s the hardest.
Ed’s last blog post…The Brain of Science and/or The Soul Of the Religious Heart?
Ed, your right, what makes me most excited is always a great motivator. the problem right now, is I want to be selfish, so that leads me to be more lazy than motivated.
The workout thing does help me and has helped these last couple of weeks.
Today I went out and worked on a project on my car that I have put off for months. Feels good
And you nailed it for me. Just getting started it the hardest thing.
Thanks for the heads up about your “big move.” Your blog looks great! Good job on the no dessert for that past month – I would say that takes A LOT of motivation! For me, summer is always a time when I’m less movtivated to work. I have GREAT memories of summer and still very much enjoy it; therefore, not wanting to do a whole heck of a lot that is necessary. Unfortunately, it just ends up being something I HAVE to do – I just don’t enjoy like I do the rest of the year.
Momma Jen, thanks for stopping in!
Sounds like I am feeling a lot like you do about Summer. At least right now.
Hey B – it may help – it may not….
Laz sorta gave me the idea and you probably already understand the concept… but even so – you said you want to stay home rather than do ‘your job’…so….
Each morning as you lie there trying to open your eyelids for the first time in the day.. before you get up….
Remember…
Who you are doing ‘all this’ ( sacrificing valuable growing time with your wife and kids) FOR!
Not for you
Not for them, Tam, Kass or Kota.
Not for the Church, or the congregation…
For Him.
Jesus.
Remember what He sacrificed for you…. if he could endure that for you – what will you do in the rest of the day that faces you after your feet touch the floor … for Him?
Put Him First.. your family next and you last
That may just work… what do you feel?
Much empathy with where you are at.
I still pretty much suck at self-motivation
Summer, Autumn, Winter, SPring (well, less in Spring)
<B
love’s last blog post…Simple English (- part the second)
Good stuff Love. That was my mom’s big phrase while I grew up. Do it for Jesus. I agree with that wholeheartedly. It is the true motivator for what I do. I am blessed to be able to create and have th freedom to use my gifts and it’s because of Him.
I know that right now I have not had a lot of “free” time. So even though i enjoy thoroughly what I do, I need a break. When Summer hits, it is usually at a time where that “needed” break is most evident. the weather gets good. The family is home relaxing. I need to be determined to not be lazy. that is the death of me.
This is a great reminder Love…thanks!
i live to serve
i love to love.
(but my baybee just loves to dance!)
like i said to Alece.. we all have need of a holiday!
He ordained one day a week – and for farms one year in seven.
And then there are the ‘regular’ festivals on top of that…
but these days… we all just find a need to be close to the ones we love more and more.
Well it’s not like you can work with your wife and kids while doing your job correctly, now is it?? not every day anyway.
We used to though.
<B
love’s last blog post…Simple English (- part the second)
‘Love’ and ‘Mom’–thanks for the confirmation!
So, iW, ‘honestly’, don’t you think worship is the most ‘appropriate’ way for someone in your ‘position’ to do something JUST for HIM?
It’s the best ‘motive purifier’ (as well as ‘motivator’ I know of)!
Okay, I ‘DOUBLE DOG dare ya’ (since I only have two, but if I can borrow Duke, I’ll up it to a ‘TRIPLE DOG DARE’ =}!!
- 30 days (doesn’t even have to be consecutive if that’s impossible) starting Monday, June 16th!
So…. don’t be surprised if you wake up at 6:15 AM (when I start praying =) and can’t go back to sleep. Heck, you could even start your time by 7:15 AM and still have an hour in before work.
Hey, we could have a prayer/worship relay — anyone else ‘game’?
(but I assure you it’s no ‘game’, it’s WARFARE because the enemy hates it more than anything I know of, and will use any available means to stop it!).
So, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.” James 4:7b-8a NLT
D-
Love, we were talking about true sabbaticals last week with our Pastoral staff. Discussing taking a paid month, every other year, to disappear and spiritually, mentally and physically refresh. We may start doing this. The intent is to step away from the office and the normal routine and dig in to the Word and spend time with the family. Looking forward to that.
lazrus2, I appreciate that even if I don’t start on Monday, that you will be praying for me. I have always appreciated that from you. Right now, I am thinking of taking the month of July to do this. the next 2 weeks for me are insane and I know for certain I would set myself up to fail. But it will be happening.
July it is.
And you’re right, prayer is a ‘given’ here (as promised many years ago).
Thanks for taking the ‘challenge’, but you needn’t be accountable to me about it. HE knows, and that’s sufficient. I believe the ‘fruits’ will be ample evidence anyway.
D-
“I believe the ‘fruits’ will be ample evidence anyway.”
Agreed!