You need a vacation. You always need a vacation. We just got back from Grenada, so vacations are on my mind (the photo is the view from our room).

I’ve harped on this before, and the situation isn’t getting any better. Many of us don’t take enough vacations, and it’s bad for our health, our marriages, our children, our co-workers, and our clients. You’re not at your best when you’re worn out, exhausted, and stressed. When you’ve been working too hard for too long, you aren’t able to perform at the top of your game.

Some of you will object to taking a break. “I can’t afford it,” “I don’t have time,” “My trial schedule is impossible,” “My clients go crazy when I leave,” “I come back to twice as much work so I might as well not leave,” “My kids are in different schools and we can’t coordinate,” etc.

That’s not acceptable. You’ve got to go. We all know deep down that I’m right about this—you absolutely, positively need a break.

My proposal for you is that you (1) plan your next trip if it’s not already on the calendar, (2) buy the tickets now so you’re committed, and (3) plan the trip after that—right now. You need to get into a cycle of planning the trips at least six months out. It’s easier to commit when it’s way off in the future. If you do it my way, you’ll always have something on the calendar. Do it leapfrog style so that when you return from a trip, you’ve already got the next trip on the calendar. As soon as you get back, go ahead and commit to the trip after that. Just keep the cycle running, and you’ll always have a vacation agenda.

You can’t afford it? Sure you can. It doesn’t have to be an expensive trip; it just needs to be a break away from the office and away from home. Book a cabin at the nearby lake or buy a tent at Walmart and go camping. No matter what you do, you’ll be energized for work when you get back. You’ll even be energized by a week in a tent on top of a mountain where it rains every day. Crazy, screwed up vacations generate new energy just like perfectly choreographed vacations. It’s getting away from the routine, the stress, and the daily grind that matters.

You don’t have time? You’ll be more efficient when you get back. You’ll be less likely to get emotionally sidetracked, and you’ll be more effective at settling cases because of your newfound rationality. You really may not have time, but taking the time away will create more free time for you to catch up when you get back.

Your trial schedule is impossible? Most court systems have some mechanism, if you plan in advance, for you to designate time away for a break. The glitch is that you have to plan in advance. Just do it now and accept that it may be a while before you get to go. You’ve got to start the cycle, and there’s no better time than now. Worst case, go to your local judges and explain your situation. Tell them you need a break, and see whether they’ll accommodate you. I’m willing to bet they will.

Your clients go crazy when you leave? Yep, but they go crazy when you stay. Crazy clients are part of the deal, and it has little to do with vacation. They’ll be just as crazy when you get home. Go, go, go.

You come back to twice as much work, so you might as well not leave. That’s true: things pile up while you’re gone. But some of what piles up will resolve itself while you’re away. Sometimes the fires just burn themselves out, and clients figure out that they can solve some of their own problems. That’s a win for you and a win for them. You’ll spend the first day or two back catching up, but things will quickly return to normal. You can’t put everyone else’s needs ahead of your own. You need some time for yourself.

Vacation is essential to coping with a challenging job. You’ve got a challenging job, and you’re in it for the long haul. Take your vacation.

Some of you are saying to yourself, “Yep, Lee, you’re right, but…” Listen to me now: don’t have that conversation with yourself. Just plan the trip. You need to get going, and you especially need to get going if you’re finding a bunch of reasons to put off planning the trip. You are the person I’m talking to, and you need to listen. Plan the trip, plan the trip, plan the trip. Just do it right now regardless of your reservations.

Rent a houseboat and hang out on the lake. Fly to an island and look at the sea. Head out west and ski down a mountain. Book a week at the beach and build sandcastles. Go to Disney World. Just go because life is short, and you deserve a break.