The Day Before Vacation Effect
Sep 26, 2025
Written By Bart Berkey | Most People Don't
Our assistant, Ainy, in a part of the world where torrential rain and flooding are common.
She and her neighbors seem to regularly prepare for forecasted typhoons.
"This one is a class 1, this one is a class 4."
The other day, she learned that they would be losing power in her town at exactly 11:00 a.m. the following day.
That gave her three hours.
Three hours to do what normally might take a full day.
And guess what? She nailed it.
Focused. Efficient. Flawless.
This reminds me of something many of us already know:
Ever noticed how the day before a big vacation, you’re unstoppable?
Emails answered in record time.
Bags packed with focus.
Priorities fall perfectly into place.
There’s a special kind of energy that comes with a ticking clock.
It’s urgency: but it’s also clarity.
Things that used to drag suddenly get done because the deadline is real, and so is your determination.
What if we could harness that power every single day, not just before out-of-office kicks in?
That’s exactly what this week’s newsletter is all about, unlocking the productivity boost of time-pressure for excellence. Most People Don’t wait for the deadline to become their best. But YOU can.
When faced with a looming deadline, even huge companies see a productivity surge.
Why is that?
The day before vacation is always one of the most productive days of the year.
For example, Toyota famously implemented lean production sprints, Kaizen blitzes, to solve problems quickly.
During these sprints, teams were able to complete as much meaningful work in a single focused week as they usually did in a typical month.
The Science Behind It:
Parkinson’s Law:
Work expands to fill the time we allow.
Eight hours? It will take eight.
Three hours? We’ll often finish in three.
Fresh Start Effect
Deadlines and temporal landmarks, like “leaving tomorrow”, motivate us to act differently. (Dai, Milkman & Riis, 2014)
Time Scarcity Research
Limited time forces the brain to filter distractions and zero in on essentials.(Shah, Mullainathan & Shafir, 2012)
Goal Gradient Effect:
The closer we are to the finish line, the faster and harder we push. (Similar to running a race, the adrenaline kicks in, no matter the level of exhaustion.)
According to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, focused work can reduce task completion time by up to 25% compared to fragmented work periods. Source: Flown.com, 2025
Put together, it explains why the hours before the power outage, or the day before vacation, feel like productivity superpowers.
How to Harness the Effect Every Day
We don’t all live with frequent typhoon warnings (thankfully). But we can recreate the same urgency and focus
Set Strategic Deadlines
Decide your own “power goes out at 11” moment. Focus and work until 11, then stop.
Use a Countdown Tool, like Ticktimer
I use this exact tool to create a finish line.
Watching the clock tick down keeps me from tempting distractions & wandering into busywork.
Work in Sprints
Break tasks into 30-45 minute bursts. Treat each like its own race, with a pit stop in between.
Ask the Vacation Question
Each morning, write down: “If I were leaving for vacation tomorrow, what absolutely must I get done today?”
Start with those tasks.
Shrink the Time, Don’t Stretch the Task
Give important work less room to expand. Contain it, and watch efficiency rise.
The Takeaway
We already have proof that we can be incredibly productive under pressure.
The question isn’t can we? (Get the project, task, or call done.)
It’s why don’t we?
or
Why don't we do it more often? Get organized, prospect, have one-on-one's with co-workers, exercise, meditate...
Don’t wait for a major issure, or the day before you are going out of town, or will be OOO.
- Purposefully Shrink the time
- Choose to focus
- Create urgency
- Hold yourself accountable
Leaders who travel frequently often become masters at using “the power of the deadline” and focused urgency to their advantage. Here’s why:
- Natural Boundaries: Travel forces a hard stop, requiring fine tuned skills of prioritizing.
- Laser Focus: Frequent travelers know they have limited windows to get things done (in the airport lounge, between meetings, before check-out). They train themselves to make every minute count and to block out distractions fast.
- Efficient Decision-Making: With no time to overthink, they become decisive. “Analysis paralysis” is a luxury they just don’t have, so they learn to trust their judgment and move forward.
- Systems & Routines: Packing, prepping, and delegating become habits. Leaders who travel have systems for what’s essential, just like setting priorities for a tight workday before a trip.
- Experience with the Unexpected: Travel’s unpredictability (delays, time zones, lost Wi-Fi) teaches leaders how to adapt, stay calm, and still deliver—skills that translate perfectly to high-pressure workdays.
Utilize The Power of The Day Before Vacation Effect.
Don’t wait for last-minute pressure, choose to focus, set artificial deadlines, and watch your productivity soar!
For More Inspiration:
🎧 Listen to This Week’s Episode #202: Horst Schultze, The Founder of The Ritz-Carlton, Re-Celebrated. (Podcast #10, April 2021)
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