Advocacy-Matters-Summer-2023

“Don’t book a flight for the
evening that your trial ends.”
MENTORING
Word to the Wise: How to
Set and Respect Boundaries
for Vacation Time
Megan Keenberg (she/her), Keenberg & Co
Rest is not the reward for hard work – it’s an integral part of hard work. We need to rest and reset
regularly in this marathon profession so that we don’t burn out. We know this. Yet so many
of us rob ourselves of much-needed rest and relaxation in service to our clients’ never-ending
legal problems. When faced with the choice between taking vacation (and actually enjoying the
time spent on vacation) or taking care of your client’s urgent issue, your service mindset and
professional obligations may force you to prioritize your client and not yourself. For that reason,
we need to set ourselves up for vacation success with some advance planning and boundary
setting.
First, let’s get real about boundaries. Boundaries
are rules we place on ourselves about
how we choose to react in particular situations.
Contrary to what Jonah Hill might think,
boundaries are not rules we impose on others
and get to enforce against them. We don’t get
to dictate others’ actions, only our own reactions.
So, let’s assume you’ve set the intention:
you’ve booked two weeks off this summer,
and you want to actually unplug from work
while away. For those blessed with a manageable
practice, collaborative and well-informed
teams, and clients who have the patience of
Job, it might be enough to simply leave the laptop
at home and turn on the out-of-office message.
For the rest of us mere mortals running
around with our hair on fire, this is going to
take some extra planning and communication.
Here are my top tips for setting yourself up for
success with true holiday time:
1
Plan your holiday in advance and book it in
a shared calendar with other members of
your team. Don’t overlap with time previously
booked off by other team members, especially
not with your assistant.
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