Pre Vacation Work Habits & Why They May Save Your Sanity!

You know how ridiculously productive you are the day before you go on vacation? You get twice (sometimes even three) times as much done in that one day than you would on any other day.

You’re so darn productive that by the end of the day you find yourself wishing you could bottle up whatever that productivity juice was and save it for a rainy day. Or every day.

But why is that?! How is that?! What is that?!

Let’s break it down a little bit…

THE WHAT…

…is actually really simple! You work like you’re going on vacation BECAUSE YOU ARE!!! And you don’t want work (of any kind) weighing you down while you’re gone. You want to enjoy yourself and your time away without worrying about to-do lists, emails, blog posts, what your clients are up to, and all the other things that creative entrepreneurs have on their plates.

THE HOW…

…is also really simple! You make a list — sometimes a very long list. A brain dump if you will of everything you think has to get done before you leave. Then, you prioritize the heck out of it. I mean, really prioritize it.

Because let’s face it, there’s going to be things on that list that don’t really have to get done before you leave, you justthink they do. But things like, organizing your desk drawers and cleaning out the pantry can wait until you come back.

If it’s not urgent or important, cross it off the list for now.

You also — and this is a big one — eliminate distractions. (Even Snapchat and Instagram. You’re guilty of getting sucked in, too, aren’t you?)

When you work like you’re going on vacation, you become laser-focused, intentional, and purposeful with everything you do. You work carefully and diligently through your to-do list and make every minute count.

You get in the zone… the productivity zone!

THE WHY…

…is actually the easiest of all three to understand. Simply put, you work like you’re going on vacation because you areliterally going on vacation! You can practically smell the suntan lotion and feel the sand between your toes just thinking about it!

That’s really the only motivation you need to get done everything that needs getting done!

Am I right or am I right?!

SO WHY…

…don’t we do this on a regular basis?! WHY aren’t we drinking the productivity juiceall of the time?! WHY don’t we work like we’re going on vacation every day?!

Probably because we’re not going on vacation every day (which sucks the fun and anticipation out of it). We can’t even trick ourselves into believing that we are (because that wouldn’t be very fair).

But shouldn’t having time to be with friends and family, to do something other than work, to do whatever we want, and feel accomplished at the end of the day be motivation enough to make things happen and get things done?!

Let’s think about that for a moment… and maybe even challenge ourselves to do just that!

WORK LIKE YOU’RE GOING ON VACATION

…is a mindset! It’s a type of reward system. If I do this, I’ll get this.

But the reward doesn’t always have to bevacation. It can be going out with the girls for dinner and a movie. Or having a date night in with Netflix and the hubby. Or reading your kids two books at bedtime instead of one. Or sinking into a bubble bath with a glass of wine. Or simply allowing yourself to bask in a job well done.

Don’t just look forward to the end of the day, work for it!