This morning, before everyone rose from their quarters, I grabbed my lime green paddle board and quietly steered it towards some sharp rocks that gird the cove. The menacing crags and jagged edges dared me to come closer and see what damage they could cause.
Shoving my oar into the water to stall my momentum, I stared up. Slack-jawed tourist that I am this week, I marveled. How many civilizations had stopped to watch the waves pound against these rocks before me? The Lycians. The Greeks. The Romans. The Byzantines.
I’m in the southern part of Turkey for the week, leading the annual Women’s Leadership Lab sail for my C level women and their families. There is a great deal of verve and excitement in preparing for a trip. But do you think about the week when you are back? Here are the four things I do to make the return back to work easier before I leave for vacation:
Created white space in my calendar
No meetings for the first two days when I get back. I’ve communicated as much to anyone who is impacted. My “out of office responder” goes for one extra day. This gives me a margin of error given the misgivings with travel these days: missed flight connections, delays, cancellations. It also helps me to take stock of what’s important and what to prioritize when I’m back.
Leave a memo for my team
It’s a list of deals, contracts, and projects currently in play. It also includes the email addresses of the main contact for each. I learned this habit from a former member of the @womensleadershiplab. This way, there are no surprises when any stakeholder reaches out while I’m away.
Schedule ahead
Birthday flowers. Scheduled. Meeting agendas. Sent out. Journal prompts for my Mastermind and SheSuite members. Scheduled for 3 weeks. Haircuts. I schedule it all before I leave. It’s one less piece of minutiae to worry about.
I ask myself the all important question: “What is the outcome I’m seeking?”
I am being intentional about connecting to joy each day, not just while I’m on vacation. As a result of this practice, I’m also trying to figure out ways to spend less time in front of the computer. There is real value in asking, ‘What is the outcome I’m seeking from this day/week/weekend?’ and prioritizing based on the answer.
Bonus tip: Dealing with Post-Vacation Blues
Inevitably there is some post vacation depression because my daily marvels no longer include rocks from ancient civilizations once I’m back in New York. My joy may be revisiting my journal entries while away, and remembering HOW I FELT at moments.
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I share more ideas like this in my Mastermind. I’m currently enrolling for the 2024 class year, where the 8 women build a powerful personal brand, culminating in a Tedx style talk on a New York City stage. Join the waitlist here.
