For those reading us for the first time, we aim to share with You some of our tips and tools for your professional and personal development. This post is on the topic of knowing your personality type and planning your summer break which best suits You.
Your Inner Summer Sun: How to recharge Yourself?
For some people, spending a week on the beach is heaven, for others it is too hot, chaotic and stressful. For some people, going for a hike in nature all alone is bliss, for others it is solitude, tiring and hell.
The summer vacation is your opportunity to recharge Yourself. In order to make sure you come back fresh, happy and better performing from your break, you first need to know your own specific personality traits, and then to be mindful of how you are spending your personal time, i.e. your “personal holidays”.
Preparing for a holiday is a great time to become aware of your personality, your personal preferences and to reassess your needs. Identify what you love, what you most prefer to do and what makes you happy and laugh; and be mindful of what takes away energy from you, what drains you and what tires you out.
Reflect, pause and ask yourself three questions: What does “relaxing” mean to me? What gives me “energy”? How do I enjoy spending an “ideal day”?
Try to design your vacations around what relaxing really means to you: to unwind, to rest and to do very little or nothing; or alternatively, to socialize, to explore and to experience something new; and furthermore, to organize every hour of the day, to know the details and schedules; or alternatively, to live spontaneously, and to discover new things, and to go with the flow.
Your Personal “Life Energy”
First, think about how and from where you draw your personal “life energy”.
“Introverts” typically feel energized when they spend time in a small group of people they know and are comfortable and familiar with, or even all alone by themselves. By contrast, “Extroverts” draw energy from the outside world and feel energized when they spend time with other people, and especially in large, noisy crowds. Ask yourself, am I an “Introvert” or an “Extrovert”?
1. “Type Intro” If your personal preference is for quietness, reflection and solitude, and you are more reserved and prefer to be alone or in small groups, but you work in an open office space, in a competitive environment, where it is loud and noisy, alongside lots of people, then during your summer break and “personal holidays”, avoid big crowds, or a busy, chaotic beach, but rather spend your day relaxing on your own, your close family or choose small group activities and a more even, calmer pace. Take time for yourself, to draw your personal “Life Energy” from the inside.
2. “Type Extro” If you are typically outgoing, very social and talkative, and you enjoy excitement and stimulation, being surrounded by many people and having noise around you, but your work place keeps you isolated, working in an quiet office most of the time, and with little contact with other people, then spend your “personal holidays” around other people, possibly in a busy and popular spot, participate in big happenings or events, organize to meet lots of family and friends, or engage in adventurous journeys with larger groups of people, or discover new horizons.
Your “Time Consciousness”
Some people are organized and thorough, and enjoy making plans and following them through, and they are usually very time conscious. Others are flexible and go with the flow, and they like to keep their options open and to act spontaneously, as they feel like, and they are usually less time conscious. Ask yourself, how time conscious you are, are you rather “Flexible” or “Organised”?
3. “Type Flexible” If you prefer to be spontaneous, free and flexible in the way you spend your “ideal day”, but you work in a routine job that involves a lot of organization and planning ahead, then for your vacation do not plan anything for your “personal holidays”. Be spontaneous, allow yourself to be free of any responsibilities. Have no fixed plans. Be experimental and open, and get your energy from following your heart and instinct. (Some of my most successful clients admitted, that sometimes, even when boarding a plane, they did not even know whether they need a visa for that foreign country, they did not have a hotel booked, and no local currency on them).
4. “Type Organised” If you like order and organization, and to have everything planned and organized in advance, and you prefer to actually see your favorite sightseeing spots during your vacation, but your job requires constant adaptability, last-minute changes, and lots of flexibility, resulting in chaos and last-minute rush, then have your “personal holidays” planned and very well organized. These types of people even prefer to carefully plan out their vacations, like a project manager. Make priorities and figure out the logistics. Plan ahead of time, start as soon as you feel like it. Organise all the details, and print it out. Organise yourself so that you can enjoy your days off with a relaxed mind, and feel reassured knowing that everything is organized and set.
To conclude, once you have reflected on your Self and identify your personal traits and preferences, then spend your vacation accordingly. Come back a happier leader and manager, delivering with higher performance.
Alternatively, some of the executives I know actually do the opposite of their preference sometimes – perhaps You too like to challenge Yourself and try something different this summer?
Most importantly, use your summer break to have fun, smile, laugh a lot and make others laugh a lot during your “personal holidays”!
Summer time is here! Let your inner Sun shine out.
“Before, during and after”
* Before you go on your trip, start envisaging your “personal holidays”. Start the two or latest the week before your break, to consciously envision your break. Plan your time away from the office and give clear instructions. Consider exactly how the work you normally do will get done, delegate and handover the critical parts of your workload, set email and voice mail messages, list priorities for your return and keep some extra contingency time in your schedule before and after your vacations.
* During your trip, on the last week, and the latest the last three days, envisage coming back to work. Start envisioning your desk or work environment again. In general, it is better to mentally prepare yourself for the disruptive change ahead, so Your inner self is transiting better again.
* After your trip, and once you are back, set a date for a short few days, or a long weekend, or even a mini one-day holiday for yourself – something to look forward to after your longer Summer break. Planning your next vacation or having already a set date, will give you something to look forward to again.
Nexus Consulting 