Be well, work well

Last week, PwC closed the entire US firm, giving us the full July 4^th week off as part of the firm’s Be well, work well initiative. (Be well, work well is about renewing our energy through four areas – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.) A firm-wide shutdown is the best gift because you can truly disconnect since no one else (at least in the US) is working — and you can return to work after that time with a relatively empty in-box and most importantly with that renewed energy. PwC has been doing this for 14 years between Christmas and New Year’s, which is always a welcome and appreciated break with the family. This was the first time we had a week off as a firm in the summer.

When PwC’s break was announced, our family already had a late June beach vacation planned, and I didn’t want to spend money on another trip. My kids were also busy with their respective summer activities the week of July 2. Knowing I had four days of the week nearly all to myself (as the weekends and holiday would be family time), I spent awhile thinking about what to do with that precious time. A staycation – for just me! What a rare and incredible gift!

Two weeks before the shutdown, Dan got a new job and found himself with some time off before beginning it. He spent a good part of his first week off getting back in shape – working out and eating and drinking better.

As a result, I vacillated between three options for my week: lazy days at the pool relaxing, an intense focus on fitness, or — what I really needed to do — clean out the clutter throughout the house. Decluttering is on my list every winter break. Some day, moving will be a nightmare because of all the stuff we’ve accumulated during our 15+ years here. My annual decluttering process has never been a success and actually paralyzes me. I’ll buy a box of garbage bags, start with the best of intentions on a messy drawer, move to a closet, and then get overwhelmed thinking of the remaining 30 or so drawers, half a dozen book cases and all the closets and shelves left to clean. I’ll then give up and vow to tackle it next year. No room has ever been completely cleaned out because of this.

Having this new time off was more of an incentive to deal with the mess, and conversations with myself went something like…

• [Responsible Jodi] What if this is the year you actually get rid of the clutter? How often do you have four days all to yourself? Why would you waste this opportunity? A clean house = a clean mind. Be well, work well!
• [Lazy Jodi] Really? You’re going to spend four precious days alone cleaning out the house? If you clean all week, you’ll go back to work exhausted. This is your chance to chill and de-stress. Rest, swim, read, go out to eat, go to a spa. Be well, work well! 
• [Healthy Jodi] Admit it. You know the house clean-up project is a lost cause. Lazing around at the pool will ultimately make you feel guilty. The best thing you can do with that time is get lots of exercise and focus on a healthier diet. Be well, work well!    

So who dominated? No one, actually. The three worked together quite nicely.

When the first weekend began, Dan asked if he could help with the decluttering since he had one more week off himself. Having him on board to clean gave me an idea. What if instead of setting a ridiculous goal of cleaning the whole house, we took the worst room — the one that annoys me the most — and focused on it together? That room would be our office. Dan was self-employed for several years; I work from home a lot; and we’ve also used the office space to store the kids’ school stuff since kindergarten. The amount of papers and boxes piled on top of each other is insane. I hate walking in there but have never been motivated to put in the time to fix it.

My nine consecutive days off ended up being the best combination of me time, couple time and family time. I got my money’s worth at the gym, working out regularly and taking two Pilates classes. I read three books during my several hours a day at the pool, including three luxurious mornings there alone. The combination of sun and exercise helped me sleep better than I had in a long time. For the most part, I made good food and beverage choices. I had a girls’ movie night; Dan and I had a double date night out; and we went to a movie together. Our family spent a very fun July 4th with friends. We all saw the Phillies beat the Nationals, followed by the most incredible fireworks, and pretty amazing local fireworks again at the end of the week. We had brunches and lunches with family members. And 17 garbage bags later, Dan and I FINALLY cleaned out that office. There is actually a floor under all of those boxes and a lot of space on top of the desk! Who knew? I now smile when I walk in there and marvel at how nice it looks.

I saw some great posts of other PwCers who went on what looked like amazing vacations and yes, getting away this week would have been terrific and much more interesting to write about. But Be well, work well was certainly in play all week — and I’m so grateful to PwC for that!