5 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare Your Professional Life for Thanksgiving Week

Does the thought of taking time off this coming week (or over the next couple of weeks) make you cringe?

I challenge you to think again: Taking this time off can be the most productive thing you do. And I want you to enjoy it.

Studies show that not taking regular breaks can increase your risks of heart disease, depression and even premature death. Having just a few days away from work can make you more productive and creative, as well as, boost performance.

So, how do you simply, sanely, and productively prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday from work?

I’m sharing my top five favorite productivity strategies to help you get out the office door and on the road for Thanksgiving.  Then, I’m going to tell you why taking these steps is important at this time of year.

First - as difficult as it may be to carve out the time to do so, it is essential that you give yourself time to prepare and plan. So, make the commitment to yourself to use some time early on Monday of this week to prepare yourself for the entire week.

• Book a meeting with yourself the first morning you are back in the office. Block the first morning and if possible the whole first day you are back in the office to collect, process and organize emails, return phone calls, connect with colleagues and get clear and current.

• Review your project and task list.  Identify the 3 – 5 projects and/or tasks that must be completed prior to the holiday break. Focus solely on the “must be completed”, not the “like to” or “want to complete”. For all of the remaining projects and tasks, make a note of their status and then write down the next action step you need to take upon returning from your holiday vacation. If you do this step before you leave, it will make for a much easier, smoother reentry.

• Determine contingency plans.  Chances are you and your team will be working differently through this week; and through the holidays, in general. Who will cover your key accounts? Who will be your point of contact on key projects? Can you provide an opportunity to a junior colleague to oversee an account while you are away? Who will be able to reach you in case of an emergency? Document this information in a list that you share with your colleagues. As well, include in your out of office email message a list of who should be contacted for each type of issue, concern or inquiry.

• Communicate to your colleagues. Let them know the status of any projects that impact them and the respective contingency plans for each project. Also, let them know if you will be checking in while you are away and what your designated “office hours” will be, if any, while you are away. I hope your holiday will be “unplugged”, however I know that is not always possible.

• Communicate to your clients, vendors and any other key stakeholders.  This is a perfect time to send them a holiday greeting, update them on the status of their projects and identify who is their point of contact while you are away. Let them know if you will be checking in while you are away and what your designated “office hours” will be.

• Inventory your vacation or holiday supplies.  Do you have all of the clothing and equipment you need for your holiday or trip? Have you downloaded the books you want to read to your Kindle? What do you need to make your vacation special and memorable?

• Prepare your home for departure.Did you stop your mail and newspapers or plan for them to be collected for you? Who is watching your pets, watering your plants and/or checking on your home while you are away?

Now, here’s why I think it’s important that you take these steps to feel clear this Thanksgiving – I don’t want you to feel guilty for spending time with family and friends. I don’t want you to ‘should’ all over yourself this week – “I should check my work email” or “I should wake up before the rest of the house to edit that project proposal”.

At that point, it’s not busyness or full-on commitment or your job title and responsibility that’s driving that guilt and that ‘should’ – it’s fear.

I’ve been in this place during the holidays; and, one holiday, I decided it was time to face my fears by asking myself, “What is the worst thing that could happen? Is it real? Is it true?”

As I looked at my fears—really looked at them—I realized that I had created elaborate, worst case scenarios that had no actual grounding in reality. They were neither real nor true.

I did not know a business owner who had lost a client because they did not immediately respond to an email – especially over Thanksgiving. And, upon reflection, if I did lose a client because of this, he or she probably wasn't an ideal client for me.

So, be willing to take some time to prepare yourself for an easy departure for the holiday; let go of the guilt and ‘shoulds’, and embrace this time.

Live fully. Happy Thanksgiving!

 Carson Tate is the founder and principal of Working Simply, a management consultancy. Our mission is to bring productivity with passion back to the workplace. We do this by providing tailored solutions that help people to work smarter, not harder.  Her new book, Work Simply, was published via Penguin Portfolio earlier this year.