July 18, 2025 | Read Online​

Guilt-Free Getaways: How to Vacation Like a High Performer​
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I'm writing this a week early because when you read it, I'll be wandering the Scottish Highlands, sampling peaty beverages, and maybe convincing Wendy that a kilt is appropriate business attire back home.

I didn't feel guilty about scheduling this time away. And neither should you about your next vacation. All high performers eventually learn that rest isn't the opposite of productivity – it's the foundation of it.

There’s a reason achievers feel gut-punched by Ian Simkins’ quote, "If busyness is your drug, rest will feel like stress.” We're inveterate taskers who feel uncomfortable when not in motion. Sitting still feels wrong. Relaxing feels lazy. Time off feels selfish.

Top performers who achieve lasting success don't just work hard, they rest strategically. They understand that peak performance requires regular recovery.

The first thing you schedule each year isn't business —it's time off. This is what I call placing boulders in the stream. When you put your time off on the calendar in advance, work flows around it like water around boulders. You never get caught in the trap of having made so many commitments to others that you can't take care of yourself.

If you don’t learn to schedule breaks, you’ll get an unscheduled breakdown.

The High Performer's Guide to Guilt-Free Getaways

Plan Like Your Success Depends on It (Because It Does) High performers don't wing their vacations any more than they wing their goals. They schedule rest with the same intentionality they schedule everything else. Block your time off first, then let everything else flow around it.

Master the Art of True Disconnection There's a difference between being physically away and mentally away. High performers set clear boundaries: specific times to check emails (if at all), designated team members to handle emergencies, and most importantly, they define what actually constitutes an emergency. Hint: it's probably less than you think.

Reframe Rest as a Skill In The ONE Thing, we write that "resting is as important as working." Think of vacationing as a skill you're developing—the ability to completely disengage from work mode and enter recovery mode. Like any skill, it gets better with practice.

Who Are You When You Rest?

This might be the most important question to answer. Many high achievers derive so much of their identity from what they do that they struggle with who they are when they're not doing it.

But here's the secret: who you are at rest reveals who you really are. It's in those quiet moments—whether you're hiking a highland trail or reading on your back porch—that you reconnect with your deeper values, your relationships, and your purpose. This isn't time lost; it's time invested in the very foundation of everything else you do.

The more skilled you become at disconnecting, the more refreshed you return. The more refreshed you return, the more creative and productive you become. The more productive you become, the more you can accomplish in less time. Strategic rest doesn’t delay success, it compounds it!

Achievers who take time off don't fall behind—they pull ahead.

Permission Granted

If you're reading this and thinking about that vacation you've been putting off, consider this your official permission slip. You've earned it. Your team needs you refreshed, not just present. Your family deserves the best version of you, not the stressed version. And your future self will thank you for the investment in recovery.

The guilt you feel about taking time off? That's not your conscience—that's your conditioning. High performers know the difference.

So go ahead. Book that trip. Put it on the calendar. Set the boundaries. Shut down your email and open a novel.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: When am I booking my next guilt-free getaway?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
​Co-author of The ONE Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent

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