{Hout Bay, South Africa}
January is the month for making plans. Sales teams, teachers, wedding planners and people partial to making New Year's resolutions are working hard putting together plans for 2014. This may seems like it is coming out of the blue but January is the time to plan your vacation. Yes, we have just come off a season of holidays, parties and days off from work but that is not the same as taking a vacation. For most of us the end of the year is tons of fun but it can be overwhelming and tiring. That's why we look forward to returning to the routine in January, we need the rest. Additionally, you may be thinking about that American Express, MasterCard or Visa bill that is coming you way next week; the holiday's can be expensive fun and February is the month to pay the price. I hope you avoided a financial hangover by intentionally planning for the holiday season.
Vacations are important to your health and your relationships. Here are three reasons why you should take a vacation this year.
1.) Taking time away from work and the busyness of your life reduces stress and allows your body and mind to recharge. If you resist the urge to over schedule and over plan, taking some time to decompress can improve your overall physical and mental health.
2.) Time away gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with your spouse, friends, family or if you want to be alone outside your everyday environment. Sharing vacation time alone or with others can deepen relationships or allow you to get to know yourself better.
3.) The biggest reason I think we need to take vacations is that it makes you more creative. Getting out of the day-to-day routine gets the creative ideas flowing. Every time I visit an arboretum or famous garden, I come home with one new idea for my garden and 10 more ideas for different areas of my life. I find vacations help me open up my mind to new ideas.
{South Africa Wine Country}
You're now convinced you should take a vacation but why plan it in January? I have three reasons why you should be planning now.
1.) Your time can get away from you if you don't declare a date and plan. Before you know it, the calendar will reads August and you still haven't taken a vacation so the default time is at the end of the year. A time of year that is already jam packed with expectations and requirement.
2.) The planning and anticipation is part of the fun. Whether traveling overseas or staying in your own backyard, doing your research will enhance your trip. Marty and I had an opportunity to go to South Africa for work. We decided to take some vacation time after the project was completed. Because the project came up so quickly, I didn't have enough time to research Africa and as a result didn't plan time to see Victoria Falls in Zambia. We had flow 7800 miles to the continent of Africa and yet, we missed visiting one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World because we didn't have time to do our research and plan.
3.) It saves you money to plan in advance. Airline tickets, hotel rooms and travel tours all give price breaks to those who plan early. Scheduling early means you have more options when you redeem your reward points. You will have more choice and better financial options.
Take the time now to visualize and plan your vacation. You won't regret it.
Hugs,
C
{Hippos in Botswana}