Latest / The Rosanne Callens Podcast / E26: Why High Performers Refuse To Take Time Off
Transcript
- Rosanne Callens: Most executives treat their unused vacation days like a high score screen. You've got four weeks of PTO sitting on your dashboard, your battery is blinking red, and you are secretly proud of yourself for not taking a single afternoon off. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that is not dedication, that is neglect. Hi friends, Rosanne Callens here. If you're watching this during the first week of October, I am currently in Europe. I'm walking down ancient cobblestone streets, eating pastries that have no business tasting this good, and spending time with an incredible group of leaders on my annual retreat. Well, before I left, I had a conversation with a senior VP that made me want to make this video before I left. She told me, Rosanne I have 27 days of unused PTO. And every January, HR sends me an email that this year I'm gonna, you know, use or lose, right? And when it comes to that time, I sometimes forfeit days because I literally can't find the time to step away. So what's going on? 27 days. I want you to think about that. That's more than Five entire work weeks. when she said that number, there was a little bit of pride in her voice. And that's why I wanted to make this podcast. We have normalized this bizarre badge of honor where the most depleted person in the room wins, or the person that's never taken a sick day, or never taken and paid time off. Today I wanted to talk about why high performers refuse to take time off, the silent tragedy of milestone birthdays, and why stepping away from work is the ultimate test of electric leadership. Let's address the honest reason that most leaders do not take vacations. Most people think it's because you have too much work. But the real reason is decision fatigue. by the time Friday arrives, you've made roughly 400 decisions. You've approved project budgets, You mediated a dispute between marketing and sales. You decided which fire to put out and which one to just let burn. And your brain has made so many choices that by seven o'clock on a Friday night, someone says, Hey, where do you want to go for dinner? And you just want to lay face down and cry. It's you can't make another decision. And planning a vacation feels like taking on a second full-time job, you have to research flights. You have to compare six different hotels. You have to read all the reviews about whether the plumbing in Rome is reliable. you have to pick restaurants that will make your partner happy. And so what happens? Well, I'll tell you. Another year passes by. And then you tell yourself, well, next quarter is gonna be slower, and we'll do the big trip next year. Then I want to talk about a milestone birthday because I have a lot of clients who've experienced milestone birthdays. You're the person who plans everything. I've already told you in previous podcasts that instead of saying controlling, I like to say aggressively helpful. But you are the person that everyone comes to to plan and make the decisions. And you're the one that organized your spouse's. Surprise 40th birthday. you found the caterer, you coordinated a playlist, you made sure the cocktails match the theme, you printed out a million pictures. maybe you're the one who planned the college graduation party or high school graduation party, you pick the spot for your parrot's anniversary. You are the chief experience officer of your entire family. Then your 50th rolls around, or your 60th, and you wait and you drop subtle hints, you mention how much you've always wanted to see the Almalfi coast or wander through southern France. Do you know what happens? Nobody plans the trip. Your partner loves you dearly, but they are terrified of planning something that doesn't meet your standards. Or they simply don't have the bandwidth either. And your birthday arrives, and you get a really nice, thoughtful card, and a nice dinner at a steakhouse and maybe a beautiful pair of earrings. And you sit there thinking, I am making magic happen for everyone else, but when does someone make magic happen for me? Here is my permission slip to you. Stop waiting. Stop waiting for someone else to coordinate your dream. You make executive decisions all day long. And I want you to make the decision to treat yourself like the main character in your own life. Book the luxury experience. Put yourself in a room where someone else handles every single reservation. every luggage transfer and every dinner menu. you deserve to show up, hand over your bags, and exhale. There is another piece to this that we need to talk about openly. We tell ourselves we're gonna take the big trips when we retire. when the kids are out of the house, when I sell the business, when I hit 65. And that logic relies on the assumption that your body and your energy will be identical 20 years from now. Ancient cities. were not built with elevators. Europe has steep hills, narrow staircases, and uneven cobblestones that have definitely humbled my ankles in 10 minutes flat. And you want to experience those places while you have the stamina to walk 12,000 steps before lunch. I know you're gonna want to hike the vineyard while your knees are still cooperating Waiting for some magical finish line 10, 20, 30 years from now, it's gambling with your health. It the time to walk those streets when you go on vacation. is while you are vibrant and healthy enough to enjoy every step. I can't stress this enough. my core principle is your voltage is your value. When your voltage drops, your judgment gets cloudy and you snap and you lose your vision. For me, I have a hard time even communicating, which is one of my biggest values. So I know When I my voltage is low and I just cannot articulate what it is that I want to say. I'm basically in survival mode, and I know many of you are as well. But a dead battery powers nothing. So staying home and hoarding 27 days of vacation does not make you a hero. It really is a liability to your team. When you refuse to unplug, you're teaching everyone around you that. Rest is a weakness. And you're setting a culture where people feel guilty for going to their kids' soccer games or taking that long weekend. So here is your challenge for this week. I want you to log into your employee or your HR portal and I want you to look at your PTO number. Pick out one block of time on your calendar for the next six months. Yes, you heard me right, six months, and put your name on it. And if you want an experience where someone else handles every single detail, So all you have to do is show up and exhale. I'm already planning our next curated trip for October 2027. So you can go to rosannecallens.com and click on the travel tab and put your name on the interest list. and I will help you take care of your voltage. I'll see you next time, friends. Bye-bye.