Strategies for a Productive Summer
In our busy and fast-paced world, summer is often the time when kids are out of school, people are traveling, weddings and graduations are held, and family reunions are held. It’s a time when the hectic pace of work slows down a bit, simply because the people who normally drive are taking a break. This puts you in the driver’s seat! This gives you a chance to take advantage of downtime and better position yourself so you can play your best when the pace picks up in the fall.
To help you out, I want to give you five strategies on how to maximize this “season” when you or others (customers, co-workers, vendors, etc.) are away so you’re prepared to “get paid” for the rest of the time. year!
1. Rest. The concept of periodicity means that you allow your body to rest, reactivate, and recharge (or train) so that you achieve maximum energy and the results you want during periods that require you to push yourself the hardest. If you keep going 150mph 24/7, you’ll run out. More importantly, you won’t get the results you want. Therefore, plan time each summer for a rest period. (For workaholics, rest means no voicemail, email, clients, “work mode,” or less-than-pleasant endeavors.) Turn off work 100% while on vacation! If you do, your ability to run at your best when you return will double.
2. Clean. The days before you go on vacation are a good time to make an action plan for when you return. Your departure date is a deadline that probably won’t change. Start by challenging yourself to sort through the emails, get all the follow-ups done, and close any open loops before you go. While you are doing this, make a list for when you return of what you will do next. If you want to be more productive, schedule what you’ll do and when, so you can resume your work habits quickly when you return.
3. Schedule a “catch up” time. If you can, allow for a “phasing in” plan that gives you personal time at the office to go through email, mail, and other things that have accumulated while you’ve been gone. Often people return to a full schedule with no time to “reset,” which is why they work vacations. Resist the temptation to work while you’re away. Instead, plan for the inevitable chaos that will ensue when you return: block out part of the day when you first return to catch up.
4. Create a project plan. This season, if you’re not traveling and staying in the office while others are away, you may find yourself in the “tranquility of summer.” Before this slower season hits, have a plan for what you want to accomplish during the downtime. This is their “off season”. Use this time to do the projects that are important, but not urgent: This is the time for the projects that you never seem to get to do, like updating your website, reading, taking personal development classes, etc. Know ahead of time how you’ll use this time so you’re prepared to dive into these projects once the slower season hits.
5. Take “time off” at home. Take a week off at home. Put aside all those long-term projects, chores, and yard work. Spend a full week clearing up all the tolerances that keep you frustrated and discouraged, like fixing the printer that always prints crooked, organizing your pots and pans, buying a calendar to organize your family, or moving the chair you stubbed your toe in. in every morning. Plan a week where your attention is focused on streamlining, simplifying, and organizing your home and personal life so that for the rest of the year you can keep going!
Remember to allow yourself some real rest, clear the clutter before you leave and have a plan for how you’ll handle the return, use the slower season productively at the office, and tidy up any loose ends at home. When you are active and intentional during this slower season, employing the strategies we’ve discussed here today, you too will have a successful and winning year!