Vacation!! Your Accountability For Re-Entry

Day 5 of my vacation has come and gone and I am turning my attention to home and ultimately work. There is a lot to do when I get home, and even more to do when I walk into my office on Monday morning. So, how in the world do I make the transition from vacation to back to work? I believe focus and planning are the keys to my successful re-entry into my work responsibilities.

Here are some KEYS to help you and me make a successful re-entry and focus on what’s ahead:

1. Plan an exit strategy from your vacation venue to home.

2. Get home as early as possible prior to getting back to work. In other words, don’t get home in the wee hours of the morning Monday morning. If you can get back on Saturday, make it happen.

3. Plan some quiet time to download the actual vacation and use a portion of your quiet time to develop your initial plan for re-entry back to the “real world”.

4. Plan your first day back to work. Be clear about what you need to accomplish rather than walking in and diving in without a plan.

5. Refocus on personal priorities and professional priorities. Don’t discount one for the other. They are both important to a successful re-entry.

6. If possible, leave work on time on Monday. Allow yourself to take it slow. Even in a fast pace environment. Don’t jump into the deep end on day one.

7. Be accountable for fun being added into your work life.

8. Be accountable for laughter in your world, work and home.

9. Be accountable for setting the atmosphere around your life. Create the world you prefer to live in by the words you choose.

10. Figure out a way to have mini vacations now that you are back to work.

Exit and Re-entry are the critical moments in the life of an astronaut. Though we are not all astronauts, I believe re-entry is a critical moment for each one of us coming back from an extended time away from work or home. Planning is your friend. Take time to plan your re-entry back to work. I know many of you invest days, months and maybe even years planning your exit strategy when you want to go on vacation. Your re-entry back to work is equally important.