I love how normal is such a relative word.  The funny thing is that I don't think I know what normal looks like anymore.  In the past few weeks, I've been tossed around so much between my personal life and my business life I don't know which way is up.  And here I go again, off on another trip.  It’s planned this time, but it doesn’t make things easier.   

For me, I’m very lucky to have a wonderful business partner and we’ve been able to manage walking the tight-rope.  But what if you are not in our situation?  What are some of the things you can do to keep it together?  Now, I’m not claiming to be an expert, but I have found that these things can help out.

Plan, plan, plan.  Okay I know you can’t always predict the future, but if you know you’re going to be taking that trip to the Grand Canyon or your Aunt Sally is coming out to visit you this summer get your manager on board as soon as you begin planning your time off.  Too many times employees wait until the last minute to put in their vacation requests.  This puts an extra burden on your manager to balance giving you the time off you deserve and completing business commitments.  In some cases, they may have to deny your request if it’s too close to a critical deadline.  This just ends up disappointing everyone involved.  So as soon as you have an inkling that you’ll be taking time off, get it approved by your manager.  This way you also won’t be competing with others in the office for similar time off.   

Set expectations in advance.  Sometimes it’s hard to confide in your manager or your co-workers that you’re potentially having some personal issues.  Hey, it happens to the best of us; a death in the family, a sick child, etc.  It’s also potentially uncomfortable for them to know too much about you.  At the same time, this is your work-family and you spend a great deal of time with them.  Maybe they’ve even been through something similar.  The point here is that you take some time to let people know that you may be taking time off unexpectedly.  You don’t have to go into great length about the situation you are facing, but keeping people informed can help your manager support you and curb any potential resentment from team mates.  If you're having trouble in your personal life, think about talking with your HR representative.  They've handled these issues before and can be a helpful guide to you in managing time off.

Have a vacation buddy.  Is there someone in your office doing similar work as you?  Are your partnering with someone on a project?  This person can act as your “out of office buddy.”  When you’re away they’ll handle urgent inquires and project responsibilities.  Then when it’s their turn to be out of the office you’ll do the same for them.  It could mean you have to work a little extra here and there, but it’ll also give you peace of mind knowing that you’re not coming back to a basket full of problems.  

Work now, play later.  Working in a flexible environment is great.  I love being able to get up in the middle of the day and take a walk, run errands, or do whatever needs to get done.  As long as I finish my work of course :)  But if you know you’re heading out of the office or anticipate needing time off, think about trying to get ahead of the curve in completing work assignments.  Determine what your deliverables are and work a few late nights to get things done.  Ask your manager for a few extra assignments or what projects are next.  Banking this extra work now can really help out later when you are taking that much needed vacation.  You can completely unplug and come back rested and ready to contribute.

All I can say is that I am looking forward to next week and maybe getting things back to “normal”.  How ‘bout you?