Last week, my wife and I spent a lovely seven days in Little Traverse Bay, Michigan, where we walked the beaches, watched some sunsets, had terrific meals, and generally relaxed.

About halfway through the week, my wife turned to me and said, “You know, I like VACATION BRAD.”

I paused for a minute to think about who “VACATION BRAD” was. How was I different when I was on vacation than I was during a regular work week?

• VACATION BRAD is not in a hurry.
• VACATION BRAD is flexible. He doesn’t have any specific goals or deadlines to meet.
• VACATION BRAD expects something delightful to come along, whether it’s our next meal, the sunset, or some time to rest and read books.
• VACATION BRAD is fun. He’s always up for an adventure, ready to go.
• In summary, VACATION BRAD is relaxed. So when potential conflicts arise, or we encounter difficulties, he’s curious, creative, and full of wonder.

So, just as a thought experiment, I started to imagine: How could VACATION BRAD show up during the work week?

How can I:

• eliminate hurry and focus less on looming tasks or upcoming deadlines?
• be open to adventure and expect something delightful to be coming later in the day?
• be more present to the beauty and joy all around me?
• stay curious, connected, and creative when things go awry?

This thought experiment brought to mind one of my favorite Steve Chandler quotes,

You can accomplish your goal in a very relaxed, slow, and fun way.”

Which gave me hope that this could be done. That I’m not jousting at windmills.

Bringing “Vacation Brad” to work

So I’m running an experiment. I’m trying to figure out how to invite VACATION BRAD to work more often. How can I maintain that unhurried attitude of possibility, even when I’m in my office, and my family and I have a busy week? How can I keep that “relaxed” attitude that brings creativity and open-heartedness to conflict, disappointment, or obstacles so I can stay connected instead of letting fear drive me into survival mode?

I’ll let you know how it goes. But if any of you have any tips to offer, or things that work for you, hit reply and let me in on your secrets! (I’ll share whatever I learn from y’all.)