"Drivers" Can Enhance Your Vacation

We just came back from a two week vacation in Paris; truthfully it was to not only have fun but to also celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in a city we both love! We had an incredible time, even with a weak dollar. A few friends and associates had wondered, "wouldn't it be better to wait until the dollar got stronger? and our responses was, "and when does your crystal ball say that will be?"

First tip---You can always find a reason for not doing something! You don't even have to look that hard! So my advice is, accept that reality, prepare for it, and then get on with it.

Second tip ---For us, it wasn't just about going to Paris, it was about what did we want to do, to see, to experience there? We had subscribed to France Today magazine and used their great site(http://www.francetoday.com/) to see what was going on in Paris. As some of you know, in doing our research for our book DON'T RETIRE, REWIRE! we identified 85 reasons why people work beyond money, but we also discovered that these "drivers" as we call them, are a part of our DNA and apply to our total life.

Third tip---You can also use those drivers to plan your pleasures! Rewiring isn't just about work! One of my drivers is "to have new experiences" and another is "to be current!" I hate to miss out on anything, so we ordered tickets for the Camille Claudel exhibit at the Rodin Museum (http://www.musee-rodin.fr/) and booked an outstanding guide to tour Giverny(www.giverny.org/monet) Claude Monet's home, where he painted the famous waterlily series. and we're glad we did because there were waiting lines for both!

Fourth tip--- One of my co-author/husband's drivers is "to have freedom," so our goal was to create a vacation experience that would fulfill both of us! We didn't fill every minute but rather left time for just sitting in the Tuileries Garden and pondering life, devouring a chocolate dessert at Angelina's or munching on a baguette and letting the world go by!

Fifth tip---Discover what makes you tick (it's a key part of rewiring) then go out and create the life that makes you tick!

A bientot!

Vacations Can Be A Good Way To Rewire -- If Used Properly!

We went to India during the holidays. It was the first time that Rick, my co-author/husband and I, had been away from our families for Christmas, and the first time that we had ever traveled with a group let alone a group on a bus! The result was an unbelievable trip on every level and I thank TRAVCOA for that. As much as some of us want or even need to be in control, there is something to be said for turning control over to others and having them supply the structure and schedules. India is a very complex country; made up of extremes (www.bestindiansites.com) and trying to understand India’s beauty and poverty forced me to live in the moment or maybe I was just ready to live in the moment.

Although I carried a Global Blackberry with me, I did not allow it to intrude on my trip. I wasn’t beholden to it; yes the work I do allowed me that freedom but I realize that going forward I will use my Blackberry as tool of freedom not as a tool to tie me down. It’s a head shift, but one I need. Once I began to reflect on why the trip was so terrific, I realized that I had allowed all of my senses to become a part of the Indian experience. I totally immersed myself in all of the sights, smells and sounds of a very magical country.

During a dinner conversation on the third night of the trip, I made a comment and a fellow traveler asked, what do you do professionally? I thought for a minute, and said, “I’ll tell you in few days.” Rick was stunned but smiled. I didn’t want to talk about rewiring. I didn’t want to talk about retirement or pensions, or life planning, or the mature workforce. I was on holiday! Later in the week I told people about DON’T RETIRE, REWIRE! and about my speeches and audiences.

When I got back to New York I realized that I had desperately needed time off from talking about the future and about other people’s next acts. I had rewired my own energy and come back to work ready to rewire America but with a greater understanding of myself and the world around me.

Do you hink about how you use your vacations? Or more important, do you take vacations?

Whether you’re on vacation or just doing life, try living more in the moment. Let me tell you, it takes practice, but the benefits can be enormous.