Someday is Today... When I talk about taking time off to assess your life, the first two words women say are “I can’t” followed by, “someday I will” or, “can I just take a night off?” or, “after the kids are out of college” or, you name it. The truth is, your life and your happiness deserve some serious time and attention and avoiding that moment of truth doesn’t make your stress go away. A break isn’t just a selfish use of your time. It can be a life-saver. Try these 2 exercises to see if you are ready to take or plan a break. Help wanted: Pretend that you are writing a job description for your current job. Be honest and don’t sugarcoat the day-to-day realities. For example: Wanted. Perpetually upbeat person needed for highly responsible sales position. Must be willing to sacrifice a personal life, contact with friends and family, and all hopes of serenity. Eagerness to over-deliver a plus and a high tolerance for stress mandatory. Compensation is competitive, but will never be enough. Would you apply for your own job? Your Piece of the Pie: Draw a pie chart of how you are spending your days. Include everything: work, commuting, exercise, time with family and friends, spiritual time, sleep, intellectual nourishment, entertainment, mindless fun. (You might not even save a sliver for some of these!) Then, draw another pie and slice it up the way you’d like your life to be and see how your “real life” chart compares. If your real life pie is as chopped up as mincemeat, it’s time to reassess your job and life in terms of priorities. A break is a great way to do that.