Oh, that wonderful "V" word! It seems like everyone's taking a week off here or there to get a breather from the last six months of hard work. Are you doing the same?

If you are, you're likely to butt up against a lack of motivation as your vacation approaches. You'll lose steam and start focusing on the minutes left in the days until you leave. It's like senioritis (except you have to go back in a week).

So, if you usually find yourself struggling to make it to your last day before vacation, here are some tips to make sure your work doesn't struggle with you:

• 2 weeks before you leave: Check your to-do list to review the projects on your plate, highlighting the ones that need to be finished before you go. You can also check in with your manager to further clarify priorities between what needs attention and what can wait. Create a "Vacation Priority" list based on the information you gather. Make sure everyone you work with directly knows of your upcoming vacation so they don't go searching for your input on a project when you're gone.
• 1 week before you leave: Get those priorities done! Plan out your week ahead of time to make sure no project gets overlooked. Stick to your schedule and remind yourself that it's only a matter of days until you check out—you can do it!
• 1 day before you leave: Check in with your manager again to go over your projects and let him/her know where everything stands. After that, see if there's anything else you can take care of in the last few hours. Otherwise, kick back, set up your out-of-office email response, and maybe clean out your inbox while you wait for the clock to strike 5.

And have a great vacation!

RELATED LINKS
What Does Vacation Time Mean to You?
Monday Motivation: Summer's Arrival Spurs Warm Thoughts

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