Consider the following random historic events: Columbus setting sail for The Americas, India and Pakistan gaining their independence, and the Great Train Robbery in 1492, 1947, and 1963 respectively. What do they have in common? If you have read the headline, it won’t take the Wisdom of Solomon to deduce that they all took place in August.

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But surely “everyone’s away in August,” right? “Nothing happens in August,” and so on. I have heard these clichés since I started work all those years ago - and continue to hear them every summer. It’s true of course, August is traditionally seen as time for a chance to escape. Colleagues head to holiday homes or exotic destinations – now generously documented on social media, whether we want to see it or not. And business activity slows accordingly. 

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Yet I have always enjoyed working throughout August (and at Christmas, come to think of it). Never being tied to school holidays, I was popular with HR – we knew them as “Personnel” back in the day – because I took leave off-season. In my youth, my travels took me to far-flung places, often in the southern hemisphere, where summer and winter happily coalesced. Fast forward a couple of decades and, as I climbed the greasy pole, I could have pulled rank and disappeared in August. But with very few exceptions, I didn’t. Why not? 

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The easy (and honest) answer is that I began paying off-season prices early on, and my inner miser refused to change. But there is more to it than that. I discovered that I enjoyed working during quieter periods. With the usual rush to get away and no one expecting you to be in the office, it is the perfect time to get things done. By exploiting this lull, I have always tried to convince myself – and others – that it benefits not only me, but clients and the company too.

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Admittedly, over time, I began to see that perhaps my thinking was a little rose-tinted. If nobody expects you to be there, then... who notices if you are not? Well consider this: what if a client or their adviser is also taking advantage of some down time to reflect on structuring their affairs – maybe involving a Gibraltar trust or company? Being available when they call – be that in mid-August or on 27^th December – can make a difference. It reinforces the message that Acquarius is dependable year-round. In fact, holiday lulls can create urgency among clients who remain active – making it an ideal time to support them or even propose innovative ideas. Acquarius remains switched on when others may not be. That, in today’s parlance, is strategic FOMO.

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Since striking out on my own in 2019 and becoming a proud member of the Acquarius Gibraltar team eighteen months ago, I have stuck to my yearly rhythm. I make a point of letting people know I will be around during these so-called fallow periods – and I encourage them to get in touch. It is often easier to have meaningful conversations when calendars are lighter.

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Of course, we are all now rightly more attuned to the importance of work-life balance. Please do not mistake these thoughts as a call to reduce your well-earned leave. My generation – and those that follow – have benefitted from the hard-won rights to time off, and I would never suggest taking less. My simple message is this: if you can avoid peak months, consider doing so. You might be surprised by how productive those quiet periods can be – and, dare I say it, how smoothly things have been running in your absence.

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Yes, dear reader, you will find me toiling away at my PC throughout August. My next full-length trip? February. It feels a long way off, but by then, everyone else will be back and my downtime will just be beginning. 

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In the meantime, at Acquarius, it is very much business as usual. If you are thinking about your plans, please get in touch. We will have plenty of time – after all, everyone else is on the beach! Aren’t they?