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Time Management During the Summer Holidays

Vacation weeks sound great, in theory — a few days off of work! More time to relax! The problem, as many of us relearn each year, is that if you’re already wondering if it is possible to cram a week’s deliverables into three days instead of five.

But the thing with holidays is that they occur at scheduled, regular times. In other words, we can plan for them.Here are some tips and tricks to do just that:

Think at least a week in advance

Spend 20 minutes or so making a priority list for the upcoming events. Look ahead to see if anything major is coming up. If any workweek over the next two to three will be significantly shorter because of holidays, a vacation, or extensive appointments,  you can build this into a mental model of time earlier rather than later.

Give each hour a job

Schedule vacation days very carefully. List the tasks that absolutely must happen before going offline, being careful not to complicate this list with anything that doesn’t actually have to happen until later. One key is to limit email responses to the nooks and crannies of the days, preserving best hours (generally mornings) for bigger tasks.

Take advantage of predictability

Most jobs have at least some predictability to them. Get in the habit of carving out an hour or two each week to work on future tasks you know will land on your plate. If Future You faced a major time crunch, what would you be happy you’d already done? In the time before a holiday, aim to double this work-ahead time. This doesn’t necessarily require working longer hours — just being more strategic about devoting what’s often lost time.

So how might people best prepare themselves to become better time managers?

Doing so first requires figuring out where to focus. Taking a deeper dive into your current skill levels is the only genuine way to answer this question. Although this sounds obvious, the key point here is to avoid self-improvement that is an “inch deep, but a mile wide,” where efforts are spread too thin across too many needs. It is best to prioritize your skill development, focusing on the most pressing skill needed first and then moving on to the next.

People need a chance to relax and unwind, and holiday allotment allows us to recharge and return to the office environment with a fresh mind, clearer outlook and renewed physical energy. 

If you’re still unsure how to tackle the list of tasks before your days off, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’ll make sure to help out!

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