The guilt of taking time off

I’m taking tomorrow off to go ski for the first time this season and then head out next Wednesday to go to Hawaii for five days. While I’m excited, I can’t help but feel a bit of guilt right now for taking the days off. It’s something that I’ve always felt since starting my work life and something I’m actively working on.

Things have picked up significantly since the new year and we’re in a busy period. Things are looking, well really great for us right now. When you work at a startup, you want to maximize on these opportunities because they don’t last forever.

Given that, I do feel guilty that I’m taking days off when I’m probably needed the most. It’s not a new thing - I’ve kind of always felt this way. In reality though, it’s incredibly hard to time vacations for when things are slow. Inevitably, things always seem to pick up right when you’re supposed to be leaving for a trip.

I also try to remind myself that I haven’t taken a lot of PTO in the last 6 months since my last trip and that we’re in a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to working on vacations and staying in touch. But I also need to remember that it’s also critical to properly recharge on these trips.