Finding your Comfort Zone

How many times a year do you say: "I've just got to get away."
Personally, I utter "I need to get out of Dodge." at least 3x a week on average.
I think I feel that way for several reasons:
1) I'm a planner...and what's more fun than planning a vacation...mine, yours...doesn't matter. I'm not picky.
2) If the vacationing time is long enough in duration (over a week is best...but really hard to do...I'm an American...not a European), then I know by day 5 or 6 that I'm really "away" and what's back at the home and office is really just that...away, and what's right in front of me (my children, my husband, a beach, a mountain, a breath-taking view, exquisite art, fabulous food, a beautiful old church or just great friends) is the most important thing in my world.
3) Since the death of my mother in September 2006, I've looked at vacations like I look at shoes at DSW....so many choices, so little time. And for me, both are necessities, not niceties.

As a business owner with several different clients, who operate within very different worlds, have an array of needs, support, and requirements, I spend A LOT of time outside of my comfort zone. For me, planning a vacation and living it out is like a warm fleese blanket on a frigid night, a hot cup of spearmint tea and a good massage, all rolled into one. It's my comfort zone. A comfort zone means different things to all of us, but each of us needs to understand where it is inside, how to rely on it and to step into it to rejuvenate, re-energize and revive.
Can't wait for the next trip!

Sanity Checkers

Sanity checks are something we all need from time to time. I have so many balls in the air at any given time that I make a NYC street juggler look befuddled. What keeps me sane, you ask? My sanity checkers. These are people you often like...but could, quite possible despise. These are the people (colleagues, friends, strangers) who, when asked provide you with a "check", who tell you you're on track, you're following through, you're valuable, you're sane. There are also the people (colleagues, enemies, strangers) who tell you when you've lost your mind, you've dropped the ball, your idea/solution is ridiculous or needs more thought, research or collaboration. I "love" this latter group of people. Actually, I want to dislike them right from the start... after all I did not ASK for their sanity check, but once I've either booted down for the day (or is it night ?), and hung up the phone from the endless teleconferences, I realize they were right and I was...well "insane." The moral of this story is....don't kill the messenger. A sanity checker is very important to people like me....a busy business owner, wife, mom of two, friend, daughter, sister...yeah you get the point. Sanity checkers come in various shapes and sizes often with complex personalities and demeanors, but we need them all nonetheless.