Practical Ways to Make Your Working Vacation a Success

We learned a lot of things during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the positives we learned were about working remotely. Many businesses and positions that were not set up to function from anywhere other than the office suddenly found the remote working model was a necessity for them. That also gave us the ability to have a working vacation. Here are a few practical tips on how to make your working vacation a success.

Why a working vacation?

Some people find it difficult to take a vacation. Whether their business truly can’t function without them or if it just feels that way. Or perhaps there are meetings that you simply don’t want to reschedule. For others, it can be pending deadlines or any number of other reasons. It’s not uncommon for people to put off vacations because of their work schedules. Fortunately, in many cases, you can have both a vacation and get work done. This is great because vacations can help avoid burnout.

Video conferencing

Video conferencing is a great force multiplier. It allows people in different locations to meet without the expense of both dollars and time to meet in person. Even saving a trip across town can pay off in time savings and productivity. While tools like Zoom are easy to use, there are a few ways to make it better and more professional.

• Pick the right location: A carpeted room with soft furnishings creates a better audio environment than a mostly empty room with bare floors.
• Use proper lighting: Dimly lit rooms filled with shadows feel unprofessional and amateurish.
• Pick the right background: Clients don’t need to see your unmade bed. If the lighting is right, you could use the beautiful view from your luxury vacation home as your background. Otherwise, virtual backgrounds may be the answer. Custom ones are easy to make and better than the Golden Gate Bridge stock picture.

Other video conferencing tips can be found here.

Time management

Managing work and vacation requires intentional time management. Setting specific times that you plan to work is a good starting point. Some people prefer 2 blocks. One early in the morning and then one block sometime before dinner. Once you are outside of those times, shut off your notifications, turn on your out-of-office reply and go enjoy yourself.

Avoid Distractions

Related to time management is distraction avoidance. The distraction could be family or friends that are staying with you. Or it could be things around the house. While we may be tempted to sit on the beach with our laptops, that’s a pretty distraction-filled environment. Distractions cut into your productivity and that can leave you feeling frustrated later, causing you to worry about what didn’t get done when you should be enjoying your vacation. Do your best to minimize distractions.

Designate a workspace

You may be able to work from any place with a reliable internet connection, but that doesn’t make all places a good choice. Picking a specific place to work can help. It can help you with the things we discussed earlier like background or distractions. It can also create a mental cue for you to switch into “work mode” and focus better. Likewise, leaving it can help you switch back into “vacation mode”.

If you are considering a working vacation, there are few places better to do it than in a vacation home on Anna Maria Island. If you have questions about the house you are considering for your working vacation, contact us and our local experts can help.