Out-of-office brain turned on?

Post-Vacation Procrastination? There’s a Framework for That!

Vacation mode: activated. But how does it actually feel getting back to work? A little sluggish? Hard to focus? That feeling of putting off anything that takes more brainpower than replying to emails?
You’re not alone.

Taking time off is essential. You unplug, reset, and forget about work for a while—that’s exactly what it’s for.
But then reality hits. You open your laptop, your inbox is overflowing, your brain's still half on holiday, and you’re already wishing for just one more day.

It’s completely normal. But it doesn’t have to throw off your whole week.

The Real Challenge After a Break: Getting Started

The problem usually isn’t the work—it’s the lack of structure. After a pause, your brain isn’t quite in gear yet, but the tasks are already waiting. It's easy to stall, or to jump into reactive mode and just start ticking things off at random.
The good news? A bit of structure can go a long way.

A Simple Way to Ease Back Into Work

1. Block a Reset Morning

Give yourself some space. Don’t dive straight into everything. Spend a couple of hours reviewing emails, updates, and projects. No pressure to fix—just to get clear.

2. Pick One Key Task Per Day

Decide on one thing each day that really matters. Not everything. Just one. That’s enough to create focus and a sense of momentum.

3. End the Week with a Quick Reflection

Spend ten minutes Friday afternoon asking: What worked? What didn’t? Use that to make next week even better.

Where the Real Value Comes In

Quick tips are helpful—but if you’re leading a team or driving results, you’ll need more than habits. You need a framework.

That’s where methodology comes in—a way to bring structure into your work, whether you're aiming to boost sales or reduce churn. When things feel a bit messy or energy is low, a solid, proven framework makes everything more manageable—and gets things moving again.

Here’s what that often looks like in practice

• Gather a clear picture of the current state and key insights – using data, interviews, surveys, or mystery shopping – so that decisions are grounded in real needs.
• Map the customer journey to highlight pain points, gaps, and opportunities.
• Develop possible solutions that address root causes – not just symptoms.
• Prioritize actions based on impact and effort, so resources are focused where they matter most.
• Assign clear ownership and set deadlines – so that things actually get done.

After a long summer break, that kind of structure can be the difference between easing into momentum—or stalling out.

A Personal Reflection

After every vacation, I promise myself the same thing: have a plan—not just ambition.
When you’ve got a framework to lean on, it actually feels good to come back—because you know exactly where to begin.