# The Holiday Half-Life Principle By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2022-10-24 I've observed an odd phenomenon that applies to certain jobs and taking vacations that I call the Holiday Half-Life Principle (HHLP). The HHLP states that for some jobs the longer you are away from your job, the less work there will be for you to do when you get back. Being gone for one day is much worst in terms of workload than being gone for one week. This happens for several reasons. First, most work problems are not problems at all, and they tend to work themselves out over time. Ignoring these problems is the best course of action, but when we see them happen we feel corporately compelled to work on them anyways. Second, there are many ways to solve problems that don't require our intervention. We often think too highly of our position and abilities. Overall, taking time away from work is the best way to reduce work for these job types. So, what types of jobs does the HHLP apply? I'm still investigating and discovering new ones all of the time. However, one of the most common jobs where HHLP applies is any job with management in the title. This is certainly not universally true nor am I advocating that a manager's job is not needed. It just so happens that the current management construct within capitalist business markets demonstrates the HHLP. There are several possible reasons for this. One could be that there are a lot of bad managers out there. Another one could be that the role of management is to not do work but to legitimize work within the hierarchy of the organization. Thus, when not around there is one less layer of work to legitimize work. The work is accomplished with or without legitimization. Hence, being away results in less work if legitimization is not needed or effective. If you find yourself in a job where the HHLP applies, you may consider yourself lucky. After all, you know that the organization can move forward effectively while you are away. You could consider how to institute a more "vacation in place" mentality to reduce your workload while not hurting the organization. However, you may also be worried that you'll be found out and replaced or laid off at some point. This is a legitimate concern, but most organizations are not attentive, and it doesn't mean that your job is not valuable. It may mean that you're [[Overworking It|overworking the problem]]. Strategic inaction and more thinking may be the best path forward. #### Related Items [[Management]] [[Business]] [[Vacation]] [[Work]] [[Thinking]] [[Strategy]]