Recently my wife and I took a much needed respite from our jobs for a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  As we were packing for our trip I looked at all of the things I was taking.  One of the main things I was not planning on taking was my laptop.  I was going to a foreign country and intentionally not taking my work with me.  I have not done this in a very long time and found it incredibly liberating and refreshing.

This is the first in a three part series that will look at how I was able to successfully pull off a week long vacation being unplugged.

Preparation is what makes unplugging possible.  Without the proper preparation my trip would have been interrupted with multiple phone calls and requests.  The first step to being prepared is to be organized and cognizant of what is going on in the projects you are involved in.  Review your project list and current active tasks to identify a realistic goal to reach before leaving for your trip. 

Communication is of vital importance during the week leading up to an extended absence.  During this communication stage it is important to cancel or reschedule any re-occurring meetings with the explanation that you will be unavailable to attend at all.  If you are working on a team ensure that you communicate any updates and vital operating information to your team.  Once your team has been notified ensure that you identify a member that can be contacted in your absence.  Communicate this information to any relevant clients or contacts and then ensure that this information is listed in your email auto response. 

Let everyone know again a day or two before you depart that you will be leaving.  Some people have a hard time understanding that you will be unavailable.  Reiterate during this communication that you are going to be unavailable for the future but have updated your team on any relevant project status.  Also identify in this communication who users can go to during your absence.  For example, identify a junior DBA who has been briefed on your projects.  

As an IT Consultant there is nothing harder than taking over a project of working with a client that does not have good documentation about their systems and processes.  Documentation is one of the most important things that any IT Professional can do.  This post is not meant to harp on the importance of documentation but it is critical for being able to walk away from your computer and take a vacation.  Communicate the location of all documentation to your team so that they will seek answers there instead of interrupting your vacation for an answer.

Future posts in this series will cover how to handle your time while on vacation and how to jump back into the flow after you return.  Stay tuned for more in this series.