Your life will be no better than the plans you make and the action you take. You are the architect and builder of your own life, fortune, destiny. Alfred A. Montapert

Tomorrow I am going on vacation. I am very excited as this will be the first family vacation I have taken in quite some time. I take a lot of "mini-trips" with just my daughter, but getting my husband and my schedule lined up so we are logistically in the same place is a rare occurrence. Trying to do that for several consecutive days takes the planning and coordination tactics of a Navy Seal.

Yet here we are on vacation-eve. We will be going to Disney World from the 2nd to the 10th. As this vacation has drawn nearer and nearer, I have been working extra hours each week trying to prepare and finish as much work as possible so I don't have take 8 suitcases filled with a personal office and then be the "party pooper" because I have a deadline.

This past Wednesday, I looked at my best friend and said... "I forgot how stressful going on vacation is!" Trying to get in an extra 90 hours of work in the few weeks before vacation so I don't have to take it with me, has been a bit challenging. I have honestly felt a bit overwhelmed and truly relied on my core balance to see me through. I also keep reciting the words of a friend of mine from long ago. We used to travel together on business quite regularly. While I would be incredibly stressed prior to departure he would be calm and collected. I once asked him, "How do you remain so calm with all that needs to be done?" He simply replied, "Brook, the plane is leaving at noon. I can be stressed or non-stressed, but the plane is still leaving at noon."

That point really hit home because it was 100% accurate. I could focus and do my best, or I could get stressed out and probably be less productive. We can apply that same concept to anything. Each day will end. We can get stressed about all we have to do--but the day will still end. Or we can stay focused, do our best, and the day will still end. The choice is ours.

I am feeling pretty confident about the work I've completed so that my vacation can remain 80% vacation besides checking in on emails, class posts, good mornings, etc. I know though that when I come back, I will have a stack of messages and mail that will require extra work when I return. As I thought about how complicated it is to go on vacation, I quickly remembered the payoff--having days to spend focusing on what matters with the people we love and cherish most. It is a shame that the ability to take a vacation doesn't come around that frequently due to either costs or schedules.

As I thought about all of this, I decided I am going to try something new in my life. I am going to take a vacation every-other-week. I am going to make "vacationing" a lifestyle practice. Here's the catch--I'm not going to actually go anywhere.

How many of us truly get a chance to enjoy our homes? I don't know about you, but I find most of the time I spend in my home I am thinking about what I need to do, what I need to clean, if I need groceries, what laundry needs to be washed or folded, what phone calls I missed or need to return, what prescription has to be refilled--etc.

Being able to "vacation" a couple of times per month would truly help balance my priorities and center my life.

Here is my plan. Once a month I am going to clear a weekend for family vacation at home. Then once a month I am going to clear a day for a personal vacation at home. In order to do this successfully, I have given some thought to why a vacation is so relaxing in the first place. Here is the list of things that I have come up with so far. When on vacation we don't:

Check mail or open bills
Return phone calls and have to answer the phone
Worry about what needs to be done around the house
Often watch TV as we are busy "vacationing"
Worry about laundry
Worry about what we are making for dinner
Make our beds (if staying at a hotel)
Do dishes
Coordinate school events or driving of children
Feel free to add to this list!

If we were to take away all those activities one weekend per month, while remaining at home, think about how much we could focus on family. If we did the same for our selves one day per month, think about how it would allow us the time to recharge.

Try it: Plan your own "weekend family vacation at home" for either May or June. Plan a "personal day" as well. Just as you would with a regular vacation, let everyone know you will be "unavailable" during this time. Enjoy the benefits of vacation without the cost or stress of packing!