Latest / DevQuestions with Tim Corey / 188 How Do I Transition From Vacation Mode to Work Mode?

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188 How Do I Transition From Vacation Mode to Work Mode? · DevQuestions with Tim Corey

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Dev Questions Podcast with Tim Corey.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: Join us each episode as we tackle the questions you are asking about a career in software development, understanding the industry, and new technology.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: If you're just starting out or you want to grow stronger as a developer, this is the place to get your questions answered.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Now, here's your host, expert developer and online educator, Tim Corey.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: How do I shake off my vacation and get back up to speed quickly at work?
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: Are there things I can do to make this transition easier?
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: And how can I avoid getting overwhelmed when I get back to work?
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: These are the questions we're going to answer in today's episode of DevQuestions.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_02: Now, this comes from a suggestion site, and if you have a question, go to suggestions.iamtimcorey.com and ask it there.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_02: All right, so let's talk about what you can do to not feel overwhelmed to get back to work, but be able to get back up to speed quickly and get back in the groove.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: And there are some things you need to do before you leave that will really help this process.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_02: So pre-vacation planning, or I call it vacation, it could be anything, a break or whatever, but let's call it pre-vacation planning.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: Here's the steps you can do.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_02: Number one, try to close out all projects.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_02: This is not possible, but try.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: There are some projects you can get closed.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: It is much, much better to close out a project and start a new one after you get back rather than trying to pause in the middle.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: Because when you pause in the middle, you have all these things in your brain you're kind of keeping there, like, okay, I need to do this next, and oh, that connects over here to this, and this is how this structure works and all the rest.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_02: When you come back from vacation, that'll probably be gone.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_02: And so you have to figure out how does this thing even work?
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: And why is this code written so poorly?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, all this stuff that you figure out, oh, I did that, and oh, this is how it works.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_02: But by that time you're three days in trying to figure out what's going on.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_02: So if possible, try to close out your projects before you leave for your vacation.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: Number two is for those who cannot close out, document them.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: Document where you are, how the system works, or or what you've figured out so far.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: What's the, you know, what's going on, what are the things in your brain that you're trying to keep there in order to help speed up your process of working with this project.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: So try to, you know, take all the stuff out of your brain and put it onto a piece of paper.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_02: That way, when you come back, you have something to read that will be a shortcut to getting back up to speed.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Train yourself.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_02: So write a document that says, here's where I'm at, here's what's going on.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: And you know what?
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you're gonna say things that feel obvious.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_02: That's okay.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_02: Because when you come back, they probably won't be obvious.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_02: So by putting it in the document, then when you read that, the worst thing that happens is you go, Yeah, I got that, Tim.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: I, you know, past him, you didn't trust me.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_02: But more likely it's gonna happen is you're gonna say, Past Tim, you're a genius.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for telling me that.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_02: I would have forgotten that because it's been a week, it's been two weeks, my brain is, you know, has been totally wiped of everything work for two weeks, and now I'm trying to get back into the groove.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: So having that documentation is really helpful.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_02: Number three, try to have work delegated to others while you're gone.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: So this can be as simple as you know, saying, hey, while I'm gone, can you work on this project?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you're not done, but you can turn it over to somebody else and say, here's where I'm at, here's the documentation, here's where I'm at.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: Can you keep pushing this forward?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: Can you progress this project to the next stage?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: Can you take over and continue this project?
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_02: Because your boss probably wants stuff done even when you're gone.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_02: And being able to say, hey, I've I've turned over my projects to these people, and they should be able to progress them to the next stage allows you to kind of walk away without having to feel like you're you know putting things on pause and the whole business is waiting on you.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: So it's important to pass that off to somebody else if you can.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_02: Number four, here's one that people don't think about.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: Block off the day you return on your calendar.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_02: Say no meetings, no anything.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_02: I have this day call an eight-hour meeting and put it on your calendar if you can.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: Now, obviously, not every business is going to allow you to do that, but try to put that on your calendar as I'm not available even though I'm at work.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_02: That will allow you to take the time to get back up to speed, to process these things, and to work on your post-vacation process.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_02: We'll talk about that process in just a minute.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_02: Number five, this is one that's going to make you feel, these next two are going to make you feel really good if you can get them done.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: Number five is clean out your inbox.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: Having inbox zero is such a great place to be if you can't.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_02: Now, if you're the kind of person that says, oh, I have you know 10,000 email in my inbox.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_02: Why?
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_02: Why?
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: Because if you have 10,000 email in your inbox, you're never gonna read them all.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_02: So what's the point of having them in your inbox?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you need to keep those emails.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's totally fine.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_02: I keep practically every email I get.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: I delete spam and junk, and that's it.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: The rest of the stuff I keep, but I don't keep it in my inbox.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_02: I have an archive folder and it's still backed up, it's still in the server, it's still accessible, it's still searchable.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_02: And if you say, hey, I emailed you six months ago about this, I can look that up.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_02: But it's not in my inbox because my inbox is where I need to do something with it.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: So if you have 10,000 things in your inbox, just archive them all.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: And if you say, well, I can't do that, then archive everything with the last week's worth of information.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_02: Because you're fooling yourself if you think that 10,000 things in your inbox is somehow of value and it's gonna be worked on at some point.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: You're not gonna do that.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: So move everything you can out of your inbox.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: And the things that need work, maybe you're uh you know better at keeping your inbox, but you still have like 100 things in there and you need to take care of those things.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: Try and do that.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: Try to clean out that inbox.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_02: This is where you could also save a day at the beginning before your vacation.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: Say, hey, that Friday, I'm not gonna do normal work or have normal meetings because I'll be preparing for my vacation.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_02: So I do things like clean out my inbox, pass off projects, document my current projects, finish out projects, those kind of things so that you can do these tasks and prepare for that vacation.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_02: Number six, clean your desk.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_02: This is one that it makes you feel different.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: This is like when you go away on a trip, make your bed, clean up your room.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: Because when you come back from a trip, it's so refreshing to come back to a room that's ready for you, a room that is feels fresh and clean and prepared for you to return to it as opposed to coming back into the chaos.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_02: So cleaning your desk can help with that feeling.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: Part of what you need to do when working through how to work at work and how to work effectively is to realize that it's not just the actual coding that's that's affecting you.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_02: There is such a thing as emotions, and they do affect you as well.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so when you feel overwhelmed, you get overwhelmed.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: And when you feel like everything's out of control, things get out of control.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_02: And so, if you can work on changing your environment, work on changing your physical environment to be more relaxing, to be more refreshing.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: So when you come back, you come back to things prepared for you instead of 18 fires to put out and chaos on your desk with papers all over, and where is that paper I need for this?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_02: And what try to clean that up.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_02: Just like your digital life, you're trying to clean up your inboxes and trying to reduce or eliminate your projects you're working on.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_02: Try to clean up your physical space as well, your desk, to give you back that sense of calm when you come back.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: And finally, number seven, create a priority list for when you return.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: So you're helping yourself out.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: You're helping yourself out by saying, hey, you know what?
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: When you come back, these are the things that will probably be important to you.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_02: Here's the order in which to think through them.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe you need to take care of checking on that one project right away because you passed it off, but you still need to make sure it's gonna get done by the deadline.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_02: The deadline's in two days.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: So check it out right away.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_02: As opposed to, hey, you can do this later.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: You can check on this other project later because it's just a whenever get it done project.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: Or check in with a boss on this because they need information by a week from when you return.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_02: So that means that's a medium priority.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: So prioritize that list so you come back, you don't have to think about as much about how do I start, but just let's start.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_02: So you're trying to as much as possible, while you have everything in your head, to order things and arrange your life.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: So when you come back, you're more effective, more efficient, and feel better about getting back up to speed.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_02: You're gonna need help with this probably, and you need to communicate why this is important.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_02: Why is it important that I block off a day when I come back?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: Why is it important for me to block off a day before I leave?
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: Why is this gonna be helpful to the company and helpful to our overall progress as a department if I do these things?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: And communicate that because doing so will allow you to clear your brain before you leave, which is also important for having a good vacation.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: I have another dev question video about that, about how to turn off your brain.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_02: But then being able to turn your brain back on, be able to get back up to speed quickly so you're back in the groove and not wasting two, three, four days trying to get up to speed is really important as well.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: This will make you more efficient, even if it feels like it's taking you more time at first.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so that's the pre-vacation process.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: Let's talk the post-vacation process.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: Once you come back, day one from your back from your vacation.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: Number one, prune your inbox of junk.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: So you're gonna have some junk in there, you're gonna have some spam email, you're gonna have some, you know, whatever, you know, advertisements.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_02: Get rid of it.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: Trim it down to just what things are actually important.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, you don't have to deal with yet, but get down to just, you know, instead of having 200 email, get down to the 50 that are actually valuable, or maybe the 150, but try and get down to just the things that are actually valuable as opposed to all the junk.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: This may include things like you were copied on things that were just FYI, just you know, for your information, but not really necessary for you to do anything.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: You could just read it and get rid of it and start trimming that list to the things you actually have to do.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_02: That also allows you to do something right away that has a benefit, that has a win.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_02: Where you can say, hey, I started the day with 500 email and I'm down to 250 before lunch.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I cleaned the trash out, and that was pretty much all I did.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: That's okay.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: You have a win day one.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: It's gonna make you feel better.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: And again, it's not just about what you physically do, it's about how you feel about it.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: So in this case, it's gonna provide a win for you just to clean that list out a little bit.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_02: Number two, update your priority list.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_02: You had that priority list from before, which that may be still valuable or it may be a little out of date.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: So update that based upon the new information you have.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe your boss canceled one project or elevated another one to a higher priority or to a sooner due date.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: So update your priority list and you can start working that list.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: But I also want you to, number three, look for small wins right away.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you can get back to inbox zero.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: Or maybe you can start tracking the tasks on your priority list that you completed.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: Either way, find some wins in that first day.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: Being able to walk in after a vacation, get back up to speed, and have some wins will allow you to walk out that day feeling better, which will allow you to feel better about the next day and it will allow you to have a positive snowball as you go into your new stretch of work.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_02: So that's number three is look for small wins right away.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_02: And then number four, leave on time.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: This is important because if you return from a vacation, you feel great, and all of a sudden you walk into this maelstrom of messiness where everything's on fire and you're trying to put out fire after fire after fire, and it's a nightmare.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: And then you have, you know, you're you're late getting home from work because you had so much stuff to do and you feel harried and harassed, and you feel like the world is just on fire.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_02: How does that make you feel about ever leaving again?
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_02: Not great in some ways.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: It also makes you feel like I don't ever want to go back again.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: So it puts you in that weird spot of I don't want to be employed here anymore, or I don't ever want to take a vacation, which is gonna burn me out.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: So either way is not a good thing.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: So get those wins, work your priority list, and leave on time so that you can feel better about your situation and be more productive and allow yourself to then be more productive going into the rest of the week and be a better employee, but also be healthier in your approach to your job.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: So that's my process.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's what I encourage you to do when it comes to working through how do you shake off vacation and get back up to speed quickly at work.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_02: All right, thanks for the question.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for listening.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: And as always, I am Tim Corey.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining us for this episode of Dev Questions.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Tim is committed to making it easier for you to become a developer.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you would like to help make more content like this possible, please like, subscribe, rate, and share Dev Questions.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: You can also send your questions to questions at IamtimCore.com.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember, you are too smart and your time too valuable to waste it making all the mistakes Tim did.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: When you're ready to learn to think and code like a professional developer, head over to imtimcore.com and enroll in a course.