Travelling and vacations are always moving and a fun thing to do, but everyone knows the last few days before a trip can be hectic.
Whether you are going to the beach for a weekend or touring abroad for a month or two, it’s easy to feel confused with all the tasks that you need to finish.
Getting as many things done and packing everything into your luggage can be pretty stressful.
To help ease a lot of stress and last-minute running around, we created this handy pre-travel checklist to help you with this process.
1. Create a “to-do” list
To help you prepare and plan your vacation, put together a “to-do” checklist of things you need to finish before leaving on a trip.
Sort the list into things you have to do for a few days or week or more before leaving, from something you have to do the day before you go.
With very short trips, you’ll still have to do fewer of these things, and with very long trips, you may need to add some more, but this is an excellent place to start.
Use this list to help reduce the anxiety of planning your trip.
2. Clean your workspace
Before you leave for vacation, the odds are that you’re cleaning the house and making everything tidy. That way, you can come home to a stress-free environment.
It would help if you did the same with your workspace. This is also something we tell our clients at Maid Service NYC Office Cleaning.
Make your initial day back at work a resolute one by decluttering your desk. So it is welcoming, and work can begin again in the best approach.
Most people spend most of their weekdays in the office. Thus, getting organized and decluttering your work desk, you can harvest all the benefits of a full desk-cleaning in a fraction of the time.
3. Ask co-workers to cover for you
The solution to knowing that you won’t come back to a plateful of queries is to create a list of “must-do.” These can be projects that you need to deal with before you go on a vacation.
Agree with your co-workers ahead of time on who is going to cover what. You might want to consider assigning someone as your representative to ensure that all work on the projects is being achieved on time and plan.
Provide the people who will be charging in for you with a one-stop cheat sheet Google doc of information they may need to include:
- Where to find important files
- Policy and procedure notes
- Location of critical project information
- Tips they might find useful in administering with specific people and situations
4. Set up an out-of-office email
Many offices interact with their clients via email. Having an automatic email not only prompts people of your absence, but it helps to keep your inbox arranged while you are gone.
Do yourself a favor and let your autoreply do the work for you. After all, it is best to enjoy your vacation without thinking about work. Just don’t forget to attach your return date on your signature.
PRO TIP: Advice your correspondents to add “URGENT” on their subject line. That way, you’ll know which emails to check immediately after your vacation.
5. Reach out to important clients
There are so many reasons why reaching out to your clients before taking a vacation is beneficial.
If you’re not catering to your clients, someone else might be. At the end of the day, it’s the personal touches that make sales.
Here’s the thing: If you’re not sending your prospects and clients birthday and holiday gifts, they are less likely to remember you.
Keep in mind that the mantra of the Sales Department is ABC: Always Be Closing.
This means that you still have numbers to hit even while you’re on vacation.
6. Inform workmates ahead of time
Not filing your leave and not informing your colleagues about your vacation is inconsiderate. They might think that you went AWOL.
As professionals, it would be best to file a vacation and inform your immediate supervisor and colleagues about it.
As soon as you confirm your vacation dates, remind your colleagues about it. Let them know that you will be delegating some of your work to them while you are away.
Most importantly, let them know how to assist you should they need assistance.
Besides, inform your superiors and clients about the following:
- The day you’ll be back
- Name of the person(s) to contact instead
- Which person(s) to reach for what
- Phone, email, and address of your replacement persons
7. Empty your inbox
Same as cleaning your workspace before heading on vacation, clearing out your inbox makes coming back to work more comfortable.
A few days before leaving for your trip, set a few hours to do a little inbox spring-cleaning to get ready. We suggest that you do it at home before you go to bed.
Although you should not be replying to your emails, those are best done at work.
8. Organize for your return
When mapping time away from work, most people concentrate on getting organized for departure. What they don’t know is that you also need to organize for your return.
Consider coming back on Saturday instead of Sunday. Take time to pick up some groceries on your way home. Once everything is unpacked and organized, spend an hour or two to check your emails for updates.
Doing so can prepare you for getting back at work.
Conclusion
Vacations are meant to be relaxing and hassle-free. But packing, planning, and preparing everything can be very stressful.
Hence, it is imperative to include cleaning your workspace in your pre-vacation checklist. That way, you won’t return to any surprises.
Plan and let your colleagues know about your vacation. Doing so enables you to be much more productive when you return.
