What to do the Sunday before you leave.
The last 24 hours are about lockdown, not setup. Setup should be done by Friday. Sunday is for the seven specific verifications that prevent surprise problems on Monday morning when you're at 35,000 feet.
The last 24 hours are about lockdown, not setup. Setup should be done by Friday. Sunday is for the seven specific verifications that prevent surprise problems on Monday morning when you're at 35,000 feet.
Seven things to verify on the Sunday before any vacation: voicemail tested by calling yourself, auto-reply tested by emailing yourself, all calendars marked, 'wake me' criteria written and shared, designated decision-maker briefed, work laptop in checked baggage (not carry-on), Day +1 calendar blocked. That's the whole list.
Call your own work number from your personal phone. Listen to the entire greeting. Does it sound right? Does it mention the routing URL clearly enough that someone could write it down on the first listen?
If you're using OutOfOfficePro, the script we generate spells the URL out loud, which is critical — most people can't catch a domain on first hearing without the spelling.
Send yourself an email from a personal address. Confirm the auto-reply fires, contains the routing URL, and reads naturally. Make sure the URL is a real link (not just text) so on mobile it's tappable.
Bonus: send the email pretending to be a stressed client. Does the auto-reply tone calm them, or does it sound bureaucratic? Adjust if needed.
Personal calendar, business calendar, any shared calendars (team, family). 'Out of office [start date]–[end date]' as an all-day event. This catches the cases where someone tries to book you and the system blocks it automatically.
Pick three or four specific events that warrant interrupting your vacation. Example for a property manager: 'fire, arrest, death, or building uninhabitable >24h.'
Send this to your designated decision-maker via text or email. In writing. The 'in writing' part matters — verbal agreements about emergencies don't survive actual emergencies.
One short conversation, day-of: 'You have full authority for [dates]. Here's what 'wake me' looks like. Here's how to reach me if it fires. Otherwise, you decide.'
Resist the urge to add caveats. The more authority you grant, the less they'll need to use it.
Physical friction. If the laptop is in your carry-on, you'll open it. If it's in checked baggage, you have to wait until you arrive — and by then, you've established the pattern of not using it.
If you're going somewhere your laptop shouldn't go (beach), don't bring it at all. Most owners report they never missed it.
The day you return, no meetings. No calls. No 'just one quick thing.' This is the day to read the full week's digest, respond to non-urgent email in batches, and decompress before re-entering.
Owners who skip this report losing 50%+ of the vacation's benefits within 48 hours of return.
OutOfOfficePro auto-generates voicemail script, auto-reply, and signature on signup. 14 days free.
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