If you need periodic vacations to “recharge your batteries” perhaps you should find a new job. I’ve always been bothered by this cliche because it seemed to me to imply that work was “draining” and that we needed time away to recover from the negative effects of working. It also “compartmentalizes” life as though your two weeks or so of vacation is the time you get to have fun so you can then return to the odious tasks you have to do at work.

But I’m ambivalent. It would be great if everyone could work at an exciting job where every day was an adventure and the work actually gave you energy instead of taking it away. There are plenty of passionate bloggers out there writing about their work and a whole start up junkie culture of serial entrepreneurs and others who love what they do. They found their passion and they capture the experience of it in moments of inspired writing that can make the rest of us alternately envious and skeptical. But for most people, work pays the bills and we can’t lose sight of that. So much of happiness in life is about managing expectations and some of the gushing war stories we read can lead us to set impossible expectations for ourselves.

Vacation can be a time not just to put energy back into a life drained by work, but to gain perspective on why we do what we do. There have to be moments of passion and accomplishment in our work lives or we will be bored and frustrated. But it’s not a nonstop joyride. We selectively remember the good times–or, if we have lost our way, we dwell on the negative and make our experiences miserable. But as we are away from the day-to-day responsibilities of a job, we can take some time to think about the many reasons we do the work we do.

For many of us, it is about the money. Money can’t buy happiness, but lack of money can make you unhappy because of all the things that go along with it. Especially with the overall economy in the state it is in these days, anyone who can afford to take a vacation and be paid for it should count themselves lucky. Freelancers, contract workers–you have to buy your vacations, so they are even more valuable.

I think most people who work in technology are looking for the satisfaction that comes from solving difficult technical challenges. But nobody wants a job that is a non-stop problem ticket. If you tell yourself you live to solve problems…you should reflect on what that kind of work life would really be like.

Most of our work satisfaction comes from the people we work with and being part of a team. There will be moments of great success and hopefully times when the thing you are working on does something amazing. But most of the time work is an excuse to spend time with people who share similar interests. Helping others with your knowledge and insights, doing the little things from day to day where you feel like you added something and it was appreciated–these are the real things that keep you going. The real “battery recharge” comes from the simple appreciation of those around you who acknowledge what you do and make you feel like a real contributor.

So this is is a very “touchy-feelie” post; I know. And everyone will have different motivators and depending on their perspective, may agree or disagree with how I feel about work. But I hope–for those who can take a vacation this summer–you will use that time primarily to have fun–and if you find yourself worrying about work, think about renewing your interest, not about trying to find energy that has been “lost.” I think for most of us the energy comes from within and our challenge is to find it, not replace it.