I think we can all agree that vacations are great! We get some time off, relax, unwind and forget about the work/life responsibilities for a while.
For ones who are habitual of their routines and actually enjoy having daily tasks and goals, vacations may seem like cheating or have a sense of guilt.
If that is you, there is a rather neat hack that may help elevate your vacation to the next level: have a “Vacation Productivity Theme”.
Commute
If your vacation involves a long commute, either on a plane, train, boat, or on the back of a giant tortoise, that’s fantastic. Plan ahead for this dead commute time by setting solid goals. Try to make these goals of the “proactive” nature, rather than “reactive”. For instance, working on your book or brilliant idea would be an example of a proactive task as it involves higher level thinking. Instead, answering emails would be reactive.
Theme
Think of a general “theme” for your vacation. Because, it is unfair to limit yourself to just the commute time. There are other times during your holiday when you have the opportunity to work on your goal(s). Therefore it helps when planning for such a vacation to have a theme or multiple projects to be accomplished in chunks. Remember this is different from work because you chose to do this at your leisure.
Other Examples
Vacations are just one example, others include: waiting at the doctors, waiting in a long line, waiting for someone to show up for the appointment you have, listening to audio books during your car commutes, etc. The idea is to make your time worth your while.
Ending the trip
At the end of a trip, journey, allow time to contemplate about the trip just completed, deliveritibly allow white space to reflect. This normally never happens. As soon as the trip ends you jump on your car and head home.
Benefits
What will likely happen when you return to your routine it a new perspective. Your daily grind somehow now seems less of a grind and you start thinking of creative ways to find the in-between times to continue working on your goals.
This does not and should not take away anything from the vacation, rather elevates the experience to a higher level and makes it more impactful and memorable.
Your time is in your control and everyday should be a fun experience.