Just Say No to a Working Vacation

With the holidays right around the corner, wouldn’t you prefer to cut all ties with the office while you’re out and concentrate on rest, relaxation and family?   We always have our mobile office with us while on our vacations.  We provide exceptional service and need to be available almost 24/7 to meet the needs of our clients.  But there are some strategies to eliminate (or at least drastically minimize) the amount of time you work while on vacation. We have some tips to help you prepare, so your vacation can be a real one.

Picture the perfect vacation.  Once you understand the link between your vision of the perfect vacation and your work, you can define exactly what you need to do to make that great vacation happen.

Create a work plan for each pre-vacation workweek you have left.  Identify the most important tasks and projects that need to be completed in the weeks leading up to your vacation, and align your time and efforts to ensure they get done. Resign yourself to being uncomfortable now so you can be comfortable later. Take care of any tasks you’ve been avoiding now so that they aren’t on your mind when you’re trying to have a good time.

Don’t respond to the demands of the day reactively.  Keep control of your day by breaking it into three kinds of blocks: strategic blocks (uninterrupted work time), buffer blocks (unplanned or lower-value tasks) and breakout blocks (free time to refresh and reinvigorate).  Isolate yourself from modern-day distractions.  If you allow yourself to get distracted by email, social media or the latest viral video, before you know it you’ll be on your vacation, stuck in your stateroom, working on the project you didn’t finish.

So keep that iPhone off and laptop closed and enjoy that well-earned vacation!

Happy Cruising!