I’ve asked this question to a lot of executives over the years: “What’s the most productive day in your entire year?” And most of them don’t get the answer right.
In case you’re wondering, the most productive day in your entire working year is the day before you go on vacation.
On that day, something different happens. There’s zero procrastination. Delegation skills are at an all-time high. The sense of urgency is sharp, sharp, sharp.
Things that sat on the to-do list for weeks suddenly get handled. Most people, the day before vacation starts, either Do it, Delegate it, or Delete it. The 3 Ds of getting things done!
People are at their most decisive and focused.
Why?
Because the clock is real. There are bags to pack. There’s a flight to catch. The family is waiting (and counting on you). There is a hard stop, and that pressure flips a switch.
The Hidden Cost of That Increased Productivity
That same heightened urgency creates something else: a fight-or-flight mindset.
Your system is wired. Your brain is moving fast. Your body is carrying tension. As a result, when you finally do arrive on vacation, you don’t arrive relaxed. You arrive activated. Still spun up from the very act of getting away.
Most executives I know (and myself included unless I’m careful and intentional) experience the same pattern during vacation:
Days 1–2 (sometimes 3): still thinking about work
Days 3–5: finally begin to relax
Days 6-7: start gearing back up
And somewhere in there, email inevitably creeps back in.
So, on a seven-day vacation, most executives get three, maybe four, real days of rest and relaxation.
So How Do You Get More of Your Vacation Back?
It doesn’t have to be this way. You can work smarter—even while you work harder—beforehand in order to truly get the most from your hard-earned vacation time. Here’s how.
- Start powering down before the day before you leave. Don’t red line your system right before you head out of town.
- Create a real out-of-office standard. Not performative—aim for real clarity. Honor that hard stop!
- Then decide your email philosophy before you leave. No drifting!
- Give your team ownership. Let them handle things. All the things!
- Replace your morning routine. Don’t reach for your phone first.
- Expect some withdrawal. Don’t fight it—just don’t feed it.
- Plan a softer re-entry. Protect the last days of your trip.
The Real Point of Vacation
Vacation is about creating a reset—mind, body, and spirit. And if you spend most of it coming down or gearing back up, you miss the restorative point of it all.
The irony is this: The same intensity that makes you effective before vacation is the thing that robs you while you’re there.
You don’t need a longer vacation. You need a wider middle. More days when you are present, clear, calm. More days when you are available to yourself, your family, and what the time away will offer you.
So, before your next trip, don’t just ask, “Where shall we go?” Ask: “How do I mentally and emotionally arrive sooner and stay there longer?” Because the real return on vacation isn’t where you went. It’s who you become while you’re there.