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You know that feeling of exhilaration that you feel as you are on an airplane on your way to a relaxing vacation?   It’s that feeling of excitement, exhaustion, euphoria, relaxation… all bound together. Why is that?  Yes, you are going on a very much-needed vacation.  It’s a feeling that is based not only on the fact that you are taking time off, but also a feeling of completion.

Chances are that you have spent the last several days getting everything in order.  You have crossed your t’s, dotted your i’s, signed the last check, sent out proposals and contracts, sent the last email, cleaned your desk, put up your out-of-office email response, and shut down your voicemail.  All of the loose ends have been contained.  And, gosh darnit… doesn’t it feel AMAZING?!

This is a concept that David Allen talks about in his book, “Getting Things Done”.  The idea is that in order to truly live at peace, you should be containing all your loose ends (he calls them “open loops”) every day.  I recommend you read the book to get the skinny on how to do this.  His easy tools and tips require about a day to set up.  It’s easy as pie.  And, it can revolutionize your work flow.

Yesterday, we talked about doing a monthly review of your business.  This made me think of David Allen’s concept.  Wouldn’t it be great to have that “on vacation” feeling every weekend?  (I’d love to have it every day, but I’ll settle for the weekends.)  Now… I know that MANY/MOST of you work on weekends… (darn those people for marrying on a Saturday!)… I’m going to be realistic and say this isn’t possible EVERY weekend.  BUT, you need to define your boundaries and make sure that you are creating pockets of time off in your schedule or you will burn out – and fast.  If you work on Saturday, take Monday off.  If you have 3 weddings in 3 weekends in a row, make sure the 4th one is off.

So, here is my challenge for today… pick a weekend (or a day) to have that “on vacation” feeling… it could be this weekend, or the following.  On the day before your “weekend”, spend two hours doing the following:

  • Quickly, spend 15-20 minutes cleaning your desk.  Remove all papers and files.  Put everything “out of place” into a pile onto the floor.  Wipe and clean your desk.
  • Repeat for any other countertops or shelves that collect your “random stuff”. Put everything “out of place” into a pile onto the floor.
  • Make 3 file folders (or boxes) labeled:
    • Now
    • Projects
    • Filing
      Note: These are temporary so don’t over-think this process.
  • Start a to-do list with 2 categories:
    • Now
    • Projects
      Leave this list blank until we get to the next step.
  • Let’s go through the “out of place” pile on the floor.  Grab the pile and do the following:
    • One by one, grab each item, spend 2 seconds and decide:
      • Is this something I need to take care of now before the weekend?  (Limit yourself to very few of these – max 5.)
      • Do I need this to complete a project?  (These are projects to be worked on next week.)
      • Do I need to file this for future reference?  (This is an item that is not actionable, but you might need for reference in the future.)
    • As you are working through each item, file them in their folder.  Add the “now” items to your to-do list (remember, you should only have a maximum of 5).  Add the “projects” to the list.
    • Take your 3 file folders and find a place for them.  With the exception of the “now” file, you will be revisiting the “projects” and “filing” folders after your weekend.
  • Open your email account.  Similar to the “out of place” file, go through your email inbox like this.  (If you have 988 emails spanning back to 2004, then do this with the most recent emails that can still be actionable.   The rest of your 900 emails deserve another blog article.)  Decide:
    • Now items: address immediately  (don’t dilly-dally, just do)
    • Project items: add to your to-do list
    • Filing: File away in archive folders in your email account
  • If you have any phonecalls you need to make, make them.
  • Review the “Now” list and “Now” folder.  What are those 5 things you HAVE to do before you can enjoy your weekend?  Do them.
  • Do your “things” start to feel a little more under control?  Does your desk look nice?  Is your email a little more managed?  Time for the BRAIN DRAIN! Grab your to-do list and sit at your clean desk.  Go through the following categories of your life and grab any “loose items” from your head:
    • Personal: your, your family, your friend’s needs
    • Clients: any open items to be resolved next week
    • Business: any goals and plans you need to work on next week
    • Other: anything racing through your mind that you need to do

You should feel much more euphoric now… and ready for that “on vacation feeling”… enjoy the weekend!

Want this is in a handy-dandy download?  Print it out and put it on your calendar for Friday!  Download here: Sage Wedding Pros On Vacation Feeling. Find other downloads by clicking here.