Vacation scheduling and the little white lies that you need to tell

I have a secret: I tell people that I’m on vacation at least twice a month and it’s usually a lie because I’m actually just working from somewhere different to avoid distractions.Yep, now my secret’s out but I’m not worried. I’ll continue using it because most people don’t want to be known as the person that bothers people on vacation.

Learn to take advantage of a distraction-free day and work like your hair is on fire.

Do nothing except finish the project. Hey, you could have been on vacation, so it’s okay to neglect everything else, to put your email on vacation autorespond and your phone on voice mail and to beg off on the sleepy weekly all-hands meeting and to avoid the interactions with those that might say no…

And then finish it. Finish the website or the manuscript or business plan or the suite of tools. No, this isn’t a great week to do outreach or make a pitch. That’s not the goal. It’s to finish that project that’s been stuck too long. Finish it or cancel it.

The key to using this strategy effectively is to make sure you don’t overuse it and ensure that the right people know what you’re actually doing with your time. At the very least, make sure that your boss and/or your clients know exactly what you’re up to.

Now go enjoy a full day of productivity and don’t forget to take an actual day off from time to time.