We took our first big family vacation in a year and a half this past week. We spent a week along the Texas coast with both family and friends. Our kids got both sets of grandparents under one roof for a few days, my dad and my daughter both celebrated birthdays, we spent time on the beach with friends. Lots of fun memories and experiences.

I was in vacation mode!

Most of us love being in vacation mode. My wife is fond of saying that she is her best self on vacation. I feel that way, too… about myself, not about her… she’s great all the time 😀

This begs the question: what are we like in vacation mode? We disconnect from our jobs and engage more with our family and friends. We feel less stress and a little lighter. We’re excited about the fun things planned and we feel like we’re living on our terms. All that creates a happy feeling.

We want those feelings – happiness, carefree, living on our terms. A vacation certainly is a great time to experience that.

Yet, why don’t we experience that same level of happiness, carefree and living on our terms in “real life”? In short, we can!

We are the same person on vacation as we are at home. The difference is what we create in our minds. On vacation we allow ourselves to experience general happiness; at home we can allow our jobs, family… whatever… to create stress for us. We put pressure on ourselves to be it all, do it all and have it all. When we don’t live up that standard (because we can’t…) we make it mean something about ourselves. And, we create that negativity ourselves.

So, if we’re the same person at home as we are on vacation… and on vacation we’re happy, carefree and living on our terms, we can do that in real life, too!

Usually, we allow jobs to be a leading cause of heartache and headache. Consider this: what part of your job do you love… how can you do more of that? Happiness will likely be a result.

Be more carefree at work. Adopt the perspective of “no failures, only feedback” and the heaviness will lift. If you cannot make a mistake, what is there to worry about? You’ll feel more free to go after bigger goals because fear of failure doesn’t hold you back.

Do work on your terms. Every day we have choices to make… do you choose to go to work and do the activities necessary for you to be successful? If you make that choice, you’re living on your terms. We don’t always see it that way because we view a lot of work through the lens of “I have to…” When you have to do something, you feel it’s being forced upon you; when you choose or get to do something, that’s on your terms.

What perspectives can you have to see life more through vacation mode? What changes can you make to make everyday feel more like a vacation day?

When you do that, you can activate vacation mode anytime you choose.