Survey sez: 

• 83%: Percentage of Americans who say spending time outdoors makes them feel refreshed, healthy, and excited.
• 61% Percentage who say they don’t take enough advantage of the restorative powers of nature.
• Source: Edelman

There’s a reason why most Sabbaticals for this clan happen during the November through March period: Winter. Too young to make “winter” a verb. Too old to see the 6 months of winter roundabout as one big happy snowman.

What’s the biggest flaw of winter? The challenge of playing—heck just being—outside. And as the survey says, spending time outdoors makes one feel refreshed, healthy, and excited.

Then again, for many people—especially those who work indoors (often without windows) and commute several hours a week—getting outside is difficult in the best of circumstances. A lunchtime walk can work wonders. But a week at the lake or woods or ocean can work miracles.

Imagine what several months focused on natural splendor can do.

Are you spending enough time outside? Am I? No, I’m not. I’m too busy working. Planning. And blogging. On that note, good-bye. I’m heading into the great wild yonder I call my backyard…

Survey sez:

• 93% Percentage of leaders who think retaining key employees is even more important during an economic downturn than it is in a robust economy.
• 68% Percentage of companies that maintain a list of key employees they need to retain.
• Source: PDI

Attention: It’s the retention!

In survey after survey, employees say that it’s the little things—like Sabbaticals, family leave programs, and flextime—that matter most when it comes to job satisfaction.

Sadly, most can’t get no satisfaction. Because too many corporations and Daddy Warbucks types get all greedy when it comes time to make people happy. Too bad. Because people who LIKE their jobs often don’t mind working 55-hour weeks. That’s especially true if they know that after, say, 7 years, they get few months Big Break.

In a downturn, it may seem silly to worry about retention. Won’t most people just stay put rather than risk being jobless? Well, no. Good employees think long-term. And good employers are always on the hunt.

So what’s a great way to make people want to stay? Reward them for staying. That means pay, bonuses, perks, and bennies, of course. But moreso, it also means time off.

Stay here 7 years and meet a few other conditions, and we’ll let you take some time to chase a dream, learn something new (perhaps even job-related) and come back refreshed and ready to get back to work.

This article from a week ago, by WSJ’s Sue Shellenbarger (the hardest working woman in work/life balance) came to my attention today. It’s worth a read, and a comment.

To summarize in a word: Bummer. Recessions are not only bad for portfolio values, but also family values, it appears.

People cling to their jobs during rough times. They also take jobs beneath them, and are forced to find new ways to pay the bills.

This is nothing new, as the article states:

“Data from past recessions tell the story. The proportion of people working part-time by choice fell in the recessions of the early 1980s, the early 1990s and 2001. And although the percentage of at-home dads among married-couple families rose in the 2001 recession, that turned out to be an economic blip — caused mostly by heavy layoffs among men. The ‘trend’ waned when the economy recovered.”

Dang. Call me the world’s first Masculist, but it often seems that women have made more strides in creating life choices than men. Sure, pinstriped (and sometimes pinheaded) men still rule politics, Wall Street, and more. But women keep making progress, and expanding their menu of possibilities.

Men do too, but not so much. There is still a stigma of shame or shirk that greets stay-at-home dads. And they are about as rare as, well, female senators. I ought to know. Despite a flexible but infinite workload at all times, I know what it’s like to be the only dad among gaggles of women picking up your kid at daycare, preschool, school, sports, and the like.

One can be completely left out of the invitations for playground meetups and coffee klatch—to say nothing of Tupperware and Avon parties (or whatever women sell to each other at such events these days). Some assume I’m a single (divorced) dad—taking my turn in the custody turnstile. (There IS a lot of that.)

But back to family (and other) values. For the record, YES, it’s very hard to spend the money we’re about to spend right now; many a family skips the vacation, daytrip, or movie night when the economy sours.

In my case, 2 Heads is a little business that sits very low on the food chain, and gets punished (if not vaporized) during recessions. Freelance creative consultants rarely seem indispensable. So it can take years to grow billings back to where they once were. And by then, it’s about time for another recession, right?

But for us, it’s rather now or never. An alignment of times—our kids are both in elementary school, and their teachers and principal have kindly issued extended “hall passes” that (some say) will not be so forthcoming in middle school, when advanced placement discipline hits.

Economic slump or no, this much I do know: A crucial goal to shoot for in life is to NOT let economics and crashes and things affect day-to-day OR big-picture plans. Maybe that goal is achieved simply by running away in this case. Plug your nose and go. After all, when is there ever a perfect time for anything?

I’ve been an aggressive investor in equities since 1984 (mostly stock mutual funds, nothing too fancy or short-term). So like all who’ve held stocks: Been there, seen that. I’ve lost many a night’s sleep to shrinking numbers. It didn’t help. It pays to take on less risk as you grow older (and richer), learn from mistakes, and test your risk tolerance—again and again and again.

Or as one rich old right-winger once told me: The more you have to conserve, the more conservative you become.

As the article suggests, pumpkins and bonfires don’t cost much, and can bring more fun and meaning than a day yachting. Maybe people learn to simplify—and enjoy the simple pleasures—during downturns. Bring on the apple pie. Homemade (it’s cheaper!).

We still have an amazing standard of living here in the U.S.A. We still have more housing space per-person than ever. We know that what goes up must come down…and what goes down usually bounces back.

As my Grandma always said,

“It’s not so bad we are off.”

She ought to know. She and my Grandpa homesteaded in South Dakota in the teeth of the Depression. There probably weren’t any stock portfolios, or even salaried jobs, but there was always plenty of fresh jam, home-grown meals, and yes, apple pie as a family at their farm.

Restore family values: Be together. BreakAway together.

Great news. We’ve given up hope on Hopetown, that warm village (with the cold swimming water) on Elbow Cay, Bahamas. There’s liberation in moving on, even if we know not where to.

Dominica, with its unfinished lovely house, has also come and gone, like so many Sundays. There’s something intimidating about a BreakAway where the most inviting villages are a 90-minute ride on bad roads from the main town. I’m like, maybe it’s not okay if it’s that hard to get an occasional New York Times or rub shoulders with a crowd of strangers. It just wasn’t coming together. Wasn’t meant to be.

So what about Grenada? How did that show up? The way that many of life’s mysteries get solved: Mere happenstance.

Picture this. I’m purging some files from a crowded drawer—to make room for new piles and files. One marked “Travel” gets rudely tossed in the garbage. I’m trying to hurry, but a little hunch says, “Open that up.”

So I do. I thumb through it. From way back in 1996, there’s an article I clipped from a local Sunday paper about Grenada. The picture under the headline all but transported me there.

That’s a feeling I’ve been waiting for.

Since, some quick research has brought forth a wide array of seductive options. The words “friendly, proud, warm” have described the people over and over. Some quick air connection probing has found connections surprisingly “easy” and inexpensive.

Maybe you were right, Ronnie. It’s time to invade Grenada! The obstacle course between here and there keeps growing and jolting. But at least there’s a distant destination to run toward. Now if we can only navigate the turbulent waters and get there in one piece…

• ODDS OF GOING TODAY: 65%
• ODDS THAT GRENADA IS THE PLACE: 80%
• BIGGEST FEARS ABOUT GOING: 2N2M (2 Numerous 2 Mention)

San Juan, Puerto Rico: The best place to fly home from.

• $206: The per-person cost of a one-way ticket on Delta from San Juan. Cheap cheap!
• Today: The day we decided on a date and bought the tickets. Non refundable.
• 2-24-08: The day we fly home.
• 69: Number of days we’ll be gone. If all goes as, dare I say, “planned.”
• 85% ODDS THAT WE’LL GO (OR…SIMPLY LOSE ANOTHER $824.)

• 84 Percent of college students who say they are educated about money management and understand the consequences of debt.
• 50 Percentage who say they wish they had a plan to help decrease their debt.
• Source: Western Union Payment Services

If you read the previous entry about money disorders, here is some proof that such ailments run wide, deep, early and often in the U.S.A.

Analyzing these two little stats brings many theses (rhymes with feces) including…

Isn’t it amazing the confidence that youth (or is it all Americans?) have? 84% say they are educated about money, yippee, but 50% say they need help? Sorry, that’s a blithely ignorant nonstarter.

The 50% suggests that, obviously, half of them already have debt problems. Sure, college is a spendy time. But if you’re already worrisomely in debt and don’t have a plan, my bet is that you will suffer from that illness much or most of your life.

Shall we hazard a guess at their lifestyle? No judgment here, I hope they’re happy. But my gut says the majority have cell phones. Go out several nights a week. Drink better inebriants than we did in college. And wear cool, branded clothes. But hey, have fun!

False confidence. Deep debt. No plan. Ain’t that America? Yeesh.

This article, by New York Times reporter Sarah Kershaw, contains much great news.

Finally, the mental health community is embracing the notion of money disorders—beyond the old-school ones like kleptomania and Sex-in-the-Cityism (shopaholism).

There are many possible new disorder definitions and treatments emerging. But the favorite has to be workaholism. Don’t we all know about 5 dozen people who proudly proclaim themselves to be such? The ones I know seem utterly powerless over it, yet utterly proud of it. What a sick combo. (That’s like a certified alcoholic saying, “Watch me do all these shots!”)

In a recent seminar I led for graphic design professionals (“Your Big Break: Making and Taking Time for What Matters”), more than half of the participants said that they are workaholics. They did claim to want a Sabbatical someday. Hence, their attendance.

But the #1 obstacle they listed was workaholism. They’d all smile and headbob as another said the W word. Like they all belonged to some private club or were fanatic about some sports team.

It was hard, very hard, to know what to say to these folks. Usually, the #1 obstacle is lack of money. Workaholism is the new debt, perhaps?

This article mentions a survey from June 2008—before the market crash—that found that,

“75% of the more than 2,500 adults surveyed said money was the No. 1 source of stress in their lives.”

Sad. Market vagaries aside, truth is we live in a rich country. Most people could live within their means, they just don’t know how.

Maybe they DO have a disorder. Maybe, finally, they can get some professional help. And I’m not tawkin’ about seeing a stock jockey.

The good news was: We were close on a lead for a nice house in Dominica, an island we’ve never visited but are curious about.

The bad news is: It’s off. PSYCHE!

It was fun while it lasted. The view from the roller coaster is stunning when you’re on the top and moving slowly. But then, you start falling, falling, falling—SCREAM!

That house is not only too expensive, but it is not yet finished. They say it WILL be by the time we’d get there. But we know islands enough to know…otherwise.

So we’re now looking at about 6 alterna-accomodations on Dominica. You know, jungle retreats, organic farms, little apartments. And the possibility of moving around a lot (yuck!) and gaining a lot of experiences (hit or miss).

Those options all come courtesy of a rental agent there. But there are more questions than answers, again. More unknowns than knowns.

So many dilemmas, so little time. Once again, winter in Minnesota ain’t sounding so bad.

Just don’t ask me about THAT in Jan or Feb.

• ODDS OF GOING: 30%

Well, here we go again.

The stock market, and by that I mean virtually ALL stock markets, have headed south with a vengeance and violence I’ve not seen in my 24 years of holding stocks. .

Does it make a guy rethink flying away and spending buckets of moolah to shirk duties? YES. And how. And yet, if the trip cost $55 and that was all I had left after this stock crash, would I choose to spend $50 of those last dollars on this trip? Damn right!

After all, long-term go-getters expect troubles, and yet stick with their plans (like the 11 Commandments of Fiscal Fitness), even when the world doesn’t cooperate.

So before we get all depressed (like our economy) or fall to the floor (like the stock indices) or cry in our beer (like brokers), I’ll take a few minutes and point out…

10 REASONS WHY THIS STOCK MARKET CRASH DOESN’T MATTER
(Because 10 is not enough)

1. You don’t need the money now. In fact, one should rarely put money in stocks for less than, say, five years (a typical market cycle, so say some).
2. Today’s values don’t matter. What matters is what your investments are worth when you DO need the money.
3. Stocks don’t make anyone rich. Here’s what will: Family, friends, experiences.
4. We knew this would happen. The housing bubble, endless credit, mortgage messes, and more have become a house of cards waiting to collapse.
5. Losses are illusory. You only lose money for sure if you sell at the wrong time.
6. Buy low, sell high. For those with the stomach, now is the cheapest time to buy in more than five years.
7. Worrying won’t help. And we all must learn to cope with this kind of crap that hits the fan over and over throughout our lives.
8. Trust is dead. How can we trust these reckless Wall Streeters, bankers, real estate schmucks, politicians, and other leaders? Question authority.
9. Cash is king. Before investing anything, have several months of savings set aside in boring, safe places.
10. Don’t let your dreams crash. And don’t tie them too much to markets.
11. 55 good things happened today, even if the market did nearly go to 0.

• ODDS OF GOING: 75%…and while I may have to make adjustments to my life and this trip because of the losses, I suddenly feel more stubborn and committed.
• WHAT I’M DOING TO FIGHT MARKET ANGST: Kayaking, meditating, playing with children (who—brilliantly—don’t know or care!), hanging out with friends.
• BIGGEST PERSPECTIVE REMINDER: A dear friend was diagnosed with throat cancer on Friday. Maybe markets don’t matter so much. God bless him. Live for today.

As my family plans our BreakAway, the biggest obstacle still facing us is finding a shanty (or castle—ha!) to crash in after the first few weeks on St. John. We have a few possibilities in play. Hooray!

Do they look perfect? Of course not! Are they for sure where we would choose to go? Heck, no. Desperate and late and frugal as we are, must we try to trust the fates and follow these leads like groupies follow rock stars? Therefore:

• ODDS OF GOING: 75% and holding…