Take The Trip
By The Powers Forma
How many times have you said it?
"Maybe next year."
"When work slows down."
"Once the kids are older."
"After this project."
"When I can finally justify the expense."
If you're anything like many other leaders, there's always another reason to postpone taking the trip.
Here's the problem: there will always be another reason.
Leadership teaches us to think ahead, solve problems, and prepare for what's next. Those are valuable skills—but if we're not careful, we begin living entirely in the future while missing the life happening today. Or give our all to the job day in and day out and return home empty.
Growth Doesn’t Always Happen On The Job
As someone who loves professional development, I can get engrossed in that part of life. But I've also learned that if I'm not intentional, I can pour so much of myself into becoming a better professional that I neglect becoming fully present in the rest of my life.
Leadership matters, but so do the moments spent with family, the conversations with friends, and the memories made outside of work.
Besides, growth doesn't only happen in conference rooms.
Sometimes it happens while watching the sunrise over the ocean.
Sometimes it's during an unhurried conversation with your spouse over dinner.
Sometimes it's walking through a city you've never explored before.
Sometimes it's sitting quietly with no notifications, no meetings, and no one asking for another decision.
I’m not saying that it’s easy to slow down at all! I know it can be a struggle for many leaders. It’s one of the hardest things for me to do.
But those moments have a way of resetting our perspective in ways another webinar never could.
You Can't Pour From an Empty Cup
Leadership requires emotional energy.
Every day you are making decisions, solving problems, coaching employees, managing expectations, and carrying responsibilities that most people never see.
Eventually, even the strongest leaders become tired.
Not because they're weak.
Because they're human.
The irony is that many leaders believe taking time away is selfish, when the opposite is often true.
Your team deserves the best version of you.
Your family deserves the best version of you.
And you deserve to experience life outside of your calendar.
Memories Outlast Meetings
Think back five years.
Do you remember every meeting you attended?
Probably not.
But you likely remember family vacations.
Weekend road trips.
Laughing until your stomach hurt.
Seeing a place that left you speechless.
Watching your children experience something for the very first time.
Those are the moments that stay with us.
No quarterly report has ever replaced a memory made with the people you love.
Rest Makes Better Leaders
Some of your greatest ideas won't happen while staring at your inbox.
They'll come while you're hiking a trail.
Walking a beach.
Exploring a new city.
Reading beside a pool.
Or simply giving your mind permission to slow down.
Creativity needs space.
Perspective needs distance.
Leadership needs rest.
If Money Is the Barrier...
Travel doesn't have to mean luxury resorts or international flights.
Sometimes it's:
A weekend cabin.
A nearby state park.
A road trip.
Visiting a city a few hours away.
Using credit card points you've been saving.
Planning several months in advance to reduce costs.
The goal isn't spending more.
The goal is experiencing more.
Build a Travel Fund Like You Build Your Retirement
Many of us automatically save for retirement because we know our future matters.
What if we also intentionally saved for experiences?
Set aside a little each paycheck.
Open a dedicated travel account.
Automate it.
Even small deposits become meaningful over time.
The anticipation alone becomes something to look forward to.
Planning Makes Travel Less Stressful
One reason people avoid traveling is because planning feels overwhelming.
Fortunately, there are incredible tools that make the process easier than ever.
The products below are ones I personally use, have used, or genuinely believe provide value. They've helped remove some of the stress and uncertainty that can come with planning and enjoying a trip, making it easier to actually take the vacation instead of just talking about it.
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I believe in and would confidently suggest to family, friends, and fellow leaders.
Helpful travel essentials:
Your Vacation Is Leadership Development
Here's a different way to think about it.
Travel exposes you to:
Different cultures
Different perspectives
Different communication styles
Different ways of solving problems
Different ideas
The best leaders are curious.
Travel naturally builds curiosity.
That's leadership development in its own way.
The Powers Forma Challenge
Open your calendar.
Look six months ahead.
Choose a destination.
It doesn't have to be far.
It doesn't have to be expensive.
It just has to happen.
Book the hotel.
Reserve the flight.
Tell your family.
Request the time off.
Commit.
Because the perfect time rarely arrives on its own.
Life moves quickly.
The emails will still be there.
The meetings will still be scheduled.
The work will continue.
But your children won't always be this age.
Your parents won't always be here.
Your friends won't always live nearby.
And none of us are promised unlimited tomorrows.
So if you've been waiting for a sign—
This is it.
Take the trip.
Your family will remember it.
Your future self will thank you.
And you may just come back a better leader than when you left.
This simple commitment has been a game changer for my family.
Every January 1st, we sit down together with all of our calendars and intentionally plan the year's trips. We look at school schedules, work commitments, holidays, and everything else life throws our way, then decide where we want to go and when.
Do the destinations sometimes change? Absolutely. If airfare is more expensive than we anticipated or another opportunity comes along, we're flexible. But the important part is that the time is already protected. The trip is on the calendar, everyone has something to look forward to, and making memories becomes a priority instead of an afterthought.
I've found that if we don't plan it early, life has a way of filling every open space with something else. Meetings get scheduled, commitments pile up, and before we know it, another year has passed with the best intentions but no getaway.
For our family, putting our trips on the calendar at the beginning of the year is our way of saying, "Our time together matters."
That one annual tradition has helped us be more intentional about creating experiences we'll remember long after we've forgotten the details of another busy workweek.
Ready to Plan Your Next Adventure?
If you're looking for more tools to support your leadership, productivity, work-life balance, and everyday life, be sure to explore the Resources section of The Powers Forma. I've curated many of my favorite books, travel essentials, office products, and practical tools that I personally use or recommend to help you lead well—both at work and at home.
Because leadership is about building a successful career without sacrificing the life you're working so hard to create.
