Snow Day

We are in the middle of a big windstorm as I write this. I understand the wind will bring a blizzard overnight. I’m doing my best to try not to think about power outages, no heat, no internet, and all the panels the wind is ripping off my patio cover.

The flickering lights and the on/off internet brought up the topic of battery banks for all the offices. We could have one for our computers and one for our modems. It would allow us to continue working for another few hours during a storm. Or…we could choose not to work.

Do you remember when you were a kid and those occasional days when the winter storms were so big that the schools closed for the whole day? There weren’t many, but those were special days. No school. A day off. I loved being able to spend the day reading mysteries.

Why don’t we have snow days as adults?

It isn’t the idea of a day off that I miss, it’s the idea of simply not being ‘on’ all day long. As an executive director, I feel like I spend a great deal of time being available. I’m always checking in with the team. I’m here for last-minute requests. I’m available for whatever is needed. I really think being available to my team, is a huge part of the work I do. I put out the fires. I post the successes. I plan the details. …and I often finish the day feeling like I’ve been running flat out.

A snow day would be a welcome break, now and then.

I really believe in the work we do. I’m proud of it and I know we make a difference. Even though I really like my job, the honest truth is that no one lives or dies if we miss a day. We are not trauma surgeons. We are not emergency services. We are not first responders. We do great work, but we CAN embrace a snow day, when, once a year, it comes our way.

When I first started in this position over a decade ago, one of my team told me we reeeeaaaally needed a policy for what to do if it snows too much and we can’t get to the office. I could never bring myself to write that policy. If it snows too much to drive safely, just stay home. Take the day. Take a snow day.

So…, yes, I might get a set of battery banks for my office, but I also might not. Having the surprise gift of no internet for a few hours might not be such a bad thing.

How about you? What do you do on a snow day?

I hope you’ve found these ideas helpful. If you have a question, please leave a comment, or send me a message. I’d love to help you out. Talk to you soon. 😊