From the course: Time Management Tips

Manage time before and after vacations

From the course: Time Management Tips

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Manage time before and after vacations

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- Taking vacations on a regular basis is important and healthy for your productivity. You need to have these breaks so that you can be refreshed and have more energy. Yet far too many people feel like it's stressful, they're stressed out before the vacation, trying to get ready for it. They're stressed out during the vacation worrying about work. And they're stressed out when they get back because everything's piled up. I want to share with you a few of the tips some of my coaching clients have used, to have successful vacations. Step number one is to commit to that vacation long in advance. Sometimes people have the idea that I'm going to go on a vacation when I have some free time, but that rarely happens. There's always something in life that creeps up. So, look into your schedule several months, two, three, four, even six months, a year in advance, and block out time for this vacation. That will help you be prepared and protect that precious time. Second, add a cushion before and after the vacation. For instance, if I were to take a week vacation, I would schedule Friday to be completely empty before I leave, and Monday, after. Which leads to the next tip, what do I do during that time. I do processing. Processing is the act of deciding what the next step is, when I will do it, and where its home is. I want to bring all of my gathering points to zero, before I leave on the trip. And, when I come back, I want to process everything so that I can start my week after coming back, with everything at zero. This way I have the confidence during my trip that everything has been taken care of, and that everything will have enough time to be taken care of, when I get back. And, number four, I want to take a gathering point with me. A gathering point is simply a place to put the ideas that pop into my head. So I might have a notepad, or a special app on my phone, where anytime an idea pops into my head, I put it in there. That way I gather anything that is important and work related, but I can quickly return to just enjoying where I'm at. If you implement these few simple ideas, you'll find that it's easier to be relaxed and more refreshed when you go on your vacation, and be more productive when you come back.

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