"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
It had always been my dream to reside in The City of Lights: home to the Eiffel Tower, birthplace of cinema, final resting place of Oscar Wilde. After working for three years in London post-graduation, I decided to make the dream a reality by moving to Paris, where I lived and worked for over five years.
Despite the few miles of Channel that separates England and France, the disproportionate cultural differences struck me immediately. I observed that the French were quite serious about particular aspects of their life: their health and healthcare system; food and wine (of course!) along with affordable dining out; preserving and promoting their cultural heritage – whilst ensuring its financial accessibility plus a plethora of literary and cinematic festivals. To name a few!
One of the key differences that struck me was the amount of annual leave the French were entitled to, due to a 35-hour working week mandate. For private-sector organisations, where the 35 hours were exceeded, additional holiday was granted – usually between 12 and 24 days a year in addition to the standard 25 days of annual leave. Consequently, Parisians often enjoyed time off on the slopes during the winter months and a three-week summer break in the mountains or at the coast. For those remaining in the capital, the council would convert the banks of the Seine into Paris Plages, giving the city riverbanks a beach vibe.
August, for the French, presents an opportunity to prioritise time out to “ralentir” (slow down) before “la rentrée” (September school restart). And so, this year at Juniper, we have been considering how we can “ralentir” before “la rentrée”, too. We asked ourselves the following questions to ascertain how we can relax, reflect and refocus:
- Relax
- What does relaxation mean to me personally?
- What do I love to do? What makes me happy?
- How do I like to unwind? E.g. Lots or little activity?
- Who likes to relax in the same way as me?
- Reflect
- What tools are available to help me reflect on the past few months?
- What has been my proudest moment since January?
- Where and why have I struggled to “make things happen” so far this year?
- Who has been a support to me and how has this support come about?
- What tools are available to help me reflect on the past few months?
- Refocus
- What would I write in a letter to myself today that is dated December 2021? What would I be congratulating myself on?
- What vision and purpose do I have for my team and / or myself? What steps can I take (big and small) to realise this vision?
- What excites me about my professional development? How can I invest time and / or money in that area?
Slowing down to speed up seems counterintuitive, but it does work! We’d love to hear about how you plan to “ralentir” before “la rentrée”, and what you have planned for the autumn!