If you can still take a longer summer vacation this year, do it. But if not, at least plan some mini-breaks for yourself and your family.

Allow yourself to step away from the concerns and pressures of work for awhile – you might even stop watching or listening to the daily news – and you will find yourself catching your breath, smiling a bit more and feeling a spring in your step. The work will be there when you get back, but you’ll have a fresh perspective, a tad more energy and a renewed commitment to the upcoming fall work pace.

Here are some mini-break ideas . . .

• Change up your daily routine
• Take the day off and go to Lake Tahoe
• Go on a road trip to someplace new & different
• Take a dip in clear blue water
• Reconnect with old friends over a glass of wine

Even if you put up the Gone Fishin’ sign for just a few hours, make sure it’s up there solid. No work talk, no business calls – you’ve gone fishin’!We need to work smarter – much smarter.