Let it Slow

December Mondays are now for building muscle, playing Mahjong, and discovering the luxury of time well spent.

I have a great job — one I’ve been at long enough to accumulate a generous vacation balance. As the year wound down, I found myself needing to use a week of vacation but during one of the busiest seasons in my role. Instead of disappearing for a full week, I tried something different and took every Monday in December off of work. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made — and likely a new tradition.

My December Mondays aren’t productive but I do feel accomplished. I still make the drive downtown where I meet up with my workout buddy at our gym for a heavy lifting sessions. After we've maxed out, we wander next door to the coffee shop and linger there instead of rushing off to work or home. Time stretches in a way it usually doesn’t. Midday, I find a few friends with flexible schedules and play rounds of pick-up Mahjong. I take my two puppies (and my weighted vest) out for a long walk, where I catch up with neighbors I don’t normally see during the workweek. 

There is no sense of urgency on December Mondays. Because of this slower rhythm, the entire month is more relaxed. Work stays up to speed. The majority of my Christmas shopping is finished early. Presents are wrapped and under the tree weeks ahead of the big day. I feel refreshed and recharged having carved out meaningful weekly pauses. December Mondays are the vacation I never knew I needed.