In the process of preparing to leave for my summer vacation, I was ticking down my “to do” list and realized we needed to have an updated blog post.  So once again, real life becomes my inspiration.  Here are some tips for getting prepared at the office so you can fully disconnect, unwind and relax on your vacation:

Make your “to do” list

Make a running list of what needs to be accomplished before you leave and make it a priority to check things off.  Ask your co-workers, manager and clients what they need from you before you leave.  A nicely checked-off list will give you the reassurance that all is well for your departure.

Look and plan ahead

Look at your schedule for the week or even two weeks after you get back.  Do you have big meetings coming up?  Do you have travel plans that need to be made?  Do you have a deliverable due?  Add all of that to your “to do” list and do as much advance preparation as possible.  That way it won’t be looming over your head while you are gone.

Have a back-up

If there are things that will need attention while you are gone, bring a co-worker or your manager up to speed on where everything stands and what they might need to do in your absence.  Make sure your contacts know who your back up is and that all parties have each other’s contact information.

Let contacts know and set expectations

Give your clients and other business partners as much notice as possible about your time away from the office.  That way they can plan as well.  Decide in advance if you will be checking in with the office periodically during your absence, either via phone, checking voicemail or e-mail.  Ideally, you can completely shut down and enjoy a work-free vacation, but that’s not always possible.  Either way, set those expectations. Your voicemail should have a message indicating you will be out of the office for an extended period, include whether or not your will be checking messages and who your back-up is while you are gone.  Your e-mail should be set up with an automated, out-of-office reply with the same information.

Clear your desk

You may be one of those people who always have a neat orderly desk.  If so, you can skip this one.  But if you’re like me and papers tend to cover your desk, add clearing your desk to your "to do" list.  That way, when you come back from a nice, relaxing vacation you can at least ease into your re-entry at work with a neat desk.

Enjoy and don’t apologize

You have earned this vacation!  Take it, enjoy it and don’t apologize for taking the time off.  You will come back refreshed, re-energized and more productive than when you left.  It’s a win-win for everyone!

And with that, I can check off one more thing on my list and am one step closer to enjoying my time off.

Libby Kelly

@libbyakelly on Twitter

Growing up, did you ever hear the phrase “try it, you might like it?”  Chances are you did and as it turns out, there’s a lot of truth in that statement.  Take note that it’s not “try it, you will like it.” It’s you “might” like it.  But the key point here is that you have to try it to know.  In our family, we call this “going to the end of the dock.” Let me provide an overly simplified real-life example.  I had always said I didn’t like brussel sprouts.  But the truth was, I’d never actually tried one.  I just assumed I didn’t.  Let’s face it – in the vegetable world, brussel sprouts have gotten a pretty bad rap.  But I was at a friend’s house for dinner recently and she made roasted brussel spouts.  So as to not be a rude guest, I stepped out of my vegetable comfort zone, went to the end of the dock and tried one.   And low and behold, I loved those little baby cabbages!  Now, much to my husband’s delight, they make a regular appearance on our dinner table. Turns out he has always liked them, but was being deprived due to my assumed dislike. 

So what’s my point?  Try something new!  Test the waters of the unknown at the end of the dock!  Been thinking about trying a new exercise class?  Do it.  Want to learn a new skill set for your job?  Take a class.  Want to meet new people?  Sign up with a networking group.  Want to give back to the community?  Volunteer.   Without fail, the rewards will outweigh the risk of putting yourself out there and you may even surprise yourself with what you can accomplish. 

At the end of the day, you may not like or be good at everything you try, but you will have broadened your horizons and learned more about yourself in the process.  But you also may end up finding something new and wonderful and will wonder where it’s been all your life and why you didn’t try it sooner.  You may even make someone else happy in the process…   

Have you ever received an email that was in all lowercase letters? Or an email that was in all caps? How about an email that contained no punctuation? In this age of ever changing technology, we are able to send and receive emails all day and night. We must make sure that we are responding using basic email etiquette. This means that we must make sure that our emails are always professional and courteous. Regardless of whether we send the email as we sit at our desk or if we are at home sitting on the couch, we must make sure that it’s professional.

Here are a few simple items to remember as we send emails:

• Never use all caps
• Use proper punctuation
• Don’t use run on sentences
• Never use all lowercase letters
• Don’t over abbreviate
• Read the email before hitting send

If we follow this simple reminder it may save us from embarrassment later on down the line. Remember emails are something that can always be referenced to at a later date. You want to always make sure that your employer or potential employer views your communication style as positive, grammatically and factually correct.

 TJ Williams