Just returned from much needed R&R – time away on the East coast to hang out with my family and friends. It took me at least three days to sever the attachment to my phone and laptop.
I slowly but surely disengaged BUT by the end of our trip, I had gone to the other extreme. I didn’t even want to log back on.
Reality was scary.
I knew I’d be overwhelmed by miles of emails, piles of mail, and endless decisions and responses that would be fighting for my attention.
So before diving in, I regrouped and mentally prepared myself by acting on three awesome steps. Try them out the next time you get back from vacation or traveling for work and are having a hard time getting your head (and butt) back in gear.
#1: Make your lists and prioritize.
Chances are you have a bajillion thoughts on your mind from getting groceries to submitting taxes. You have oodles of tasks in the pipeline since before you left as well as new ones that have arisen during your time away.
Do yourself a favor and write them down. All of them.
Make lists of the different “projects” (both personal and professional) that are swarming your mind. Then, under each project list all the tasks you need to take care of to move on and complete them.
Getting all this information out of your head will immediately help you get clarity and prioritize.
You’ll realize the filing can wait, but the bills can’t. Or making that Dr’s appointment needs to happen asap before you call the team meeting.
Lists also help you batch your tasks and errands. If you see you have four separate returns to make you might plan to get those done all at once, just as you would your three different budget requests.
Prioritizing and managing your time become clear when you can see everything in one place rather than having them fester around in your brain.
#2: Get through the old before you start the new.
Before you jump into your next project, spend a couple hours getting caught up. You don’t want to start from a place of feeling behind.
Allocate time for reading and absorbing emails, responding to requests, and unpacking your bags.
If it means putting in a couple extra hours or staying up late before you get back into your routine or dive into your work, as usual, it is worth it.
Postponed catch-up stuff tends to linger and linger, adding to your anxiety of getting everything done.
On the other hand, crossing off tasks that have built up as a result of your time away, will have you feeling calm and composed as you get back into reality.
#3: Time block your days.
With your lists in place coupled with getting caught up on the basics, you can get back to reality from a place of control.
However, to really feel confident about not getting overwhelmed by everything on your plate, you have got to block your time. This is something I teach my clients to always practice, but if there’s ever a time when it’s most important, this is it.
Getting back on track usually means you’re operating from stress as you have a lot of ground to cover. Which means you’re short on time and energy as your mind and body are readjusting to their routines and rhythms.
Scheduling blocks of time on your calendar to work on specific tasks helps to be realistic about what you can accomplish.
For example, your list may have thirty tasks on it and in your mind, you think you can get through half of them.
But when you actually block your day out like this:
- 9am-11am: Process planning
- 11am-12pm: Emails
- 12pm-1pm: Lunch
- 1pm-3pm: Analyze and update finances
- 3pm-4:30pm: Review and complete your proposal
- 4:30-5pm: Emails and wrap up for the day
…you realize five tasks are doable. (Not fifteen).
If tasks are not on your calendar you find yourself getting distracted, reacting to other requests, or thinking about and re-evaluating what you should be working on.
Block your time and get results. You won’t waste time thinking about what you should be doing or fretting over what you’re not.
On their own, each one of these steps is simple. But add them all together and they are powerful.
For me, as I’ve worked my way down the list, I’m no longer dreading reality. My head is back in gear and I’m actually very pumped to jump back in and start making things happen. My wish is for you to feel the same way.
Btw, you don’t need to return from vacation to put these into action. This works well at the end of the weekend to gear up for the week too!
You deserve to feel in control and motivated. You can never underestimate how transformative simple tweaks can be.
Here’s to getting more of the right things done!
Xo,
Mridu
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