I Almost Canceled My Vacation (Again)

I’m probably the last person who should be writing this. My last real vacation was two and a half years ago. Not a long weekend, not working remotely from somewhere, but an actual vacation where I stepped away completely. And if I’m being honest, I came very close to canceling the one I have coming up.

I did what I always do. I looked at my to-do list, which feels especially full right now, and convinced myself that this wasn’t the right time to step away. There was too much in motion, too many decisions to make, too many things that felt like they required my attention. It’s an easy argument to win when you’re internally in it. The idea that things will slow down or fall apart if you’re not there tends to feel very real in the moment.

But this time, instead of going with instinct, I paused and looked at the data, which is the cornerstone of KR Squared, and the data didn’t leave much room for debate.

Research consistently shows that people who take regular vacations experience lower levels of burnout and higher overall job performance. One large study found that professionals who took more than three weeks of vacation annually had significantly lower burnout rates, while those who continued working during their time off actually increased their risk. At the same time, stepping away has measurable cognitive benefits such as  improved focus and creative thinking, which, in my role, is key.

So it all hit a little close to home, because if I’m being honest with myself, I’ve felt the shift. It’s not that I’m working less or getting less done. It’s that the clarity isn’t as sharp, the ideas don’t come as quickly, and there’s a subtle sense of working harder to get to the same place. 

But the most important realization for me had less to do with performance and more to do with leadership. As a CEO, what I model becomes the standard, whether I intend it to or not. If I don’t take time off, it subtly communicates that stepping away isn’t acceptable. It creates a culture where people feel like they should stay connected and remain available, even when they’re technically off. That’s not the kind of environment I want to build, and it’s not one that leads to the best work over time.

So this time, I’m not canceling because I can see clearly that continuing to push through isn’t actually the most effective choice. The reality is that I don’t need more hours or more effort. I need a reset. A few days to step away, clear my head, and come back with the level of focus and creativity that this work actually requires.

If the data is right, and I believe it is, I won’t fall behind by taking that time. I’ll come back and move through everything faster, with better thinking and a clearer perspective. And if that’s the case, then taking a vacation isn’t stepping away from work. It’s one of the most practical ways to do it better.

And to fully commit to my new philosophy, there will be no blog next week.

Because, well, I’ll be on vacation.