I didn’t think travelling with a three-month old would really feel like a vacation—surely it would just be even more work than taking care of him at home? Here I am in a small hotel room without some of the labor-saving devices I’m used to, unable to retreat to anywhere out of earshot when the baby is asleep… it sounded like it would be stressful.

Photo by Pittaya Sroilong

Well, the plane trip was stressful, but sitting here in my hotel room typing while Arden naps I actually feel very peaceful. Some of this might be due to getting more sleep than normal due to happy accidents of the baby’s biorhythm. Some of my exuberant sense of well-being, though, comes from being in a place with no reminders of chores to do.

In this small room I’m far away from anything that reminds me of dishes to wash, laundry to fold, and errands to run. I have deliberately not gotten access to the hotel’s wifi for this computer and so I’m not able to do anything online as I work on this article. My vision board, project list and task list are all far away in my home office. ..no distractions from existing lightly in the moment . In this gentle state, when Arden sleeps and I have a little time to myself, the writing just wells up lightly and effortlessly.

I think that’s what I love most about vacations—the lack of distractions. Being away from your customary physical space removes you from many of the embedded environmental cues. These cues remind you of still-to-be-done Stuff and reinforce you in your day-to-day mental habits, both good and bad. I think this goes for electronic environments too—habits of using Twitter and email function almost like a virtual version of physical space and can bring you back just as quickly to your workday state of mind.

Taking a break not just from work but from your typical work cues is a crucial aspect of taking a good vacation or even just a good break. A change of scene helps you change your thinking and mood by separating you from the cues you are used to, cues that are associated with have-to-stuff and with certain moods and emotions and habits. Novel environments can free up your mind just by freeing you of your usual associations… but only if you choose not to take those associations with you.

What makes a truly effective work break or vacation for you? What kinds of cues in your physical environment embody projects, tasks and chores?

One of the biggest potential spots in your day that can trip you up in terms of wasting time is transition... times when you are just leaving or just arriving somewhere, or changing activities.

Photo by Jiun Kang Too

Change is tough, and every change is an interruption of your focus and your thought processes. Making it easy to get started can also help tremendously if you have a tendency to procrastinate on a certain kind of task, because the ritual of your smooth transition sets you up for your work to feel easy instead of difficult, and minimizes resistance that you might feel to starting.

Creating smooth, seamless habits for common transitions can save you a lot of time. It can also save you a lot of mental and emotional energy as well; making transitions effortless instead of arduous cuts down not only on time spent but on stress you might feel.

Effective transitions work like this:

• Needs are anticipated and things are set up ahead of time to meet them.
• Transitions are routines, and work very similarly, if not the same way, each time.
• Little to no thought is required to carry them out.
• Actions carried out are quick, streamlined and effortless.
• Enough flex time is worked into the routine to allow for unexpected issues to be dealt with in ways that don't disrupt the routine too much, and to allow for the routine to feel relaxed rather than rushed.

An example of a great transition structure that many people have is a workday morning routine for leaving the house. This routine transitions you in a couple of different ways; you are transitioning from asleep to awake, from in to out of bed, and from inside to out the door. I don't know about you, but I am pretty brain-dead in the morning. My morning routine is exactly the same each day; my light-based alarm clock wakes me up gently, and my CD player alarm plays music to cue me that it's time to actually get up. I get out of bed, make coffee, then spend some time at the computer to catch up on my email and do small easy tasks related to my coaching business and my personal to-do list. I get dressed, add my book and food for the day to my bag, perhaps read a little more online if I am early, then say goodbye to my husband and leave. (Your list would probably have showering on there; for me, a bath is part of my going-to-bed routine instead.)

If for some reason something unexpected comes up in the morning that needs to be taken care of, the time I like to spend in front of the computer can easily be cut out, and I can handle whatever it is effectively while still getting out the door on time for my bus. This routine happens the same way each morning, with very little deviation. No real thinking is involved to get me up and out the door.

I set myself up for this routine to be easy with another routine, done on the weekend. Over the weekend, among other things that I do, I have a list of things I go through to set myself up for easy mornings. All my work clothes get laundered and hung in one section of the closet, I make up ziploc bags of homemade instant oatmeal for my breakfasts, and I make sure that the organic frozen meals I usually eat for lunch are sufficiently stocked up in my freezer.

Routines like this are enormously helpful anytime you are consistently changing locales or activities, and they are a key part of successful time management. I am trying to create a more effective "coming home" weekday ritual right now because getting in the door doesn't seem to happen nearly as smoothly as getting out in the morning. I'm developing this routine for myself by adding one or two elements at a time and seeing if I like them. I keep what works and discard what doesn't.  I'm also developing a "sit down and work on coaching business development projects" routine.   Eventually new routines will crystallize and become as consistent as my morning routine I hope... though any routine I use, of course, is subject to change as my needs change.  Routines are great at work too, to switch gears between projects, roles and tasks... though I chose a simple and specific routine that we can all relate to as an example.

What transition routines do you have that work well in your life and help you manage your time effectively? Where do you think that developing or improving a routine might increase your efficiency and decrease your stress?

Note: I'm taking the week off! Please enjoy this reprint of a blog entry I posted in August 2009.

No one is perfect, alas. We all have habits that are self-sabotaging. Many of our worst habits impact us across multiple areas of our lives because these habits let energy leak away instead of applying that energy towards something worthwhile.

Photo by Harry Wood

My worst energy-leaking habit is worrying. I have been a worrier for as long as I can remember. Even though I know that worrying about things I can't change does not help anyone or make me happy, I still find that in vulnerable or still moments I can become awash with fearful thoughts of might-be's and could-be's that are completely outside my control. I struggle with this habit-- and I make progress, but I still have a long way to go.

Today's Three Small Things will get you thinking about how you let energy leak away.

1. What one habit do you have that drains away energy instead of investing or enjoying energy?

2. What are three small things you can choose to do differently today to steward some of your energy more wisely?

3. Using energy wisely isn't all about getting things done-- energy can be used well in ways that yield simple happiness rather than conventionally "productive" results. How do you spend energy on things that aren't goal-oriented, but still worthwhile and delightful?

Note: As long-time readers can see, I'm bringing back my Three Small Things posts. Expect them around the third Wednesday of every month as a mid-week and mid-month reflection. Enjoy!