My last post was almost a month ago. I took some time for myself and traveled to visit some friends. I was still working, but gave myself a break from writing and other obligations. It was a lovely “vacation.” When I got back, I realized I didn’t schedule a “recuperation day.” This seems like such a bizarre idea. Why should someone need time off after taking time off? Apparently, jumping right back into work and a daily routine is harder than it seems. I felt inexplicably angry about the commitments I’d made for myself. It was weird, to say the least.
Anyway, I recommend everyone try to schedule some buffer time to come back from “vacation mode.” I always say that, when planning a Walt Disney World vacation, book a longer trip if you want to play in all four parks so that you can have downtime on the in-between days:
Even this plan doesn’t account for the weird way you might feel on Day 10. If you have to get back to work immediately, you might feel sluggish. A good way to “get back to normal” is to plan other important tasks for that day that are not work-related: Laundry, Cleaning, Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping, Food Prep, Cooking, Medical Appointments, Errands, Shopping, etc. This way, you can still have a normal-feeling, productive day, even if you’re not quite in “work mode” yet.
This post connects directly to another topic that’s near and dear to me:
I’ve used these last few weeks to reestablish my morning routine. I like what I’ve put together for this year. In the past, I’ve broken down tasks into miniscule steps and assigned times of day to each item. This version takes a much simpler approach:
I’ve been able to get back on track and feel good about how much I get done each day. I still have goals set for even more productive days, but I’m very proud of the progress I’m making. Oh yeah… I put an important reminder at the bottom of my chart that I can see from my desk every day:
