Personal PM: Vacation!

I have a trip coming up, so project-managing a vacation has been on my mind. Planning is as important for vacations as for other types of projects. Here are some tips for getting the most joy out of your vacation time.

• Define your vacation. Just like a work project, you have to define your vacation, including the goal, objectives, constraints, stakeholders, schedule, budget, resources, and so on.
• What type of vacation do you want? A sightseeing extravaganza, “I need to recharge” getaway, photography expedition, once in a lifetime trip, or exploration to see where you want to spend more time (or maybe retire).
• Stakeholders. If you’re traveling by yourself, this shouldn’t be too difficult unless you’re torn between relaxing and your lifelong urge to experience everything in 3 days. But if you’re traveling with others, stakeholder management is important. Disgruntled fellow travelers is a sure way to ruin everyone’s fun. Get the travelers on board (pun intended) from the beginning – while you’re defining the trip. If people have different goals and constraints, work those out first thing. Are there compromises that work for everyone? If you can’t get to consensus, you might need to find other companions.
• Budget and timeframe. How much are you willing and able to spend? How long a trip and what time of year? I don’t travel in the summer to avoid other tourists and because I enjoy summer in the Rockies. What time of year is the weather pleasant and not too rainy or hot or cold?
• Other constraints. How much luggage can you carry and are there any luggage limitations on flights? Can you meet the physical requirements of the trip? Is your pet sitter available? Can restaurants or cooking classes handle your food allergies?
• Planning. Building a plan beforehand isn’t about scheduling every minute of every day, although you can if you want. A plan means you can be more spontaneous while you’re vacationing! Get the standard stuff done ahead of time: planes, trains, automobiles, hotels, parking. Plan way ahead for hard-to-reserve items, so you don’t miss out. (I once set an alarm while I was in Europe, so I could book a restaurant reservation in Australia 6 months in advance.) If you want a chill vacay, planning the basics ahead of time means you can wake up each day and decide what you feel like doing over coffee.
• Scheduling. I like to spend time in each location, but travel between locations can eat up time for what you thought would be fun. I learned that lesson in Peru, where travelling between destinations could take 3 to 6 hours. For my upcoming trip, I created a spreadsheet with each destination and travel times between them, so I could see how much actual time I will have for exploring.
• Resources. Do you need other currencies and how much? What about a rental car, guide, driver? Do you need vaccinations or malaria medicine? What travel documents do you need? Is your passport about to expire? Visas? Entry or arrival cards? Apps on your phone? A second SIM card? Learn a few phrases in a foreign language?
• Risk management. Vacations also call for serious risk management. Lots can go wrong. Flights delays happen A LOT! I fly in an extra day early if it’s crucial to arrive on time (for a cruise, an excursion, or another flight). If your original flight is cancelled, you might enjoy a cheap airport hotel adventure. Take along medications for nausea, pain, colds, coughs, malaria if it’s an issue where you’re going, sunscreen, insect repellent, etc. Take multiple copies of paperwork and store them in different bags. Take paper maps in case your phone data craps out. 
• Lessons learned. What worked well? What could be better? What needs to be corrected? Snorkeling to watch fish is my favorite thing ever, so I’ve done several tropical vacations. I overpacked a lot the first 2 times. So, when I got home after trip 2, I sorted what I tool into “used” and “not used” piles. Then I created a packing list Word document. I also broke it up into carry-on and checked bag lists. I’ve tweaked this list over time, so it works most of the time. I check things off while I pack at the start and then check it at each destination to avoid leaving stuff somewhere.
• Performance. How well did you stick to your budget? Did everyone enjoy themselves? Was it too planned or did you forget something? Was it too short and you didn’t have time to relax, or were you more than ready to get home?

Do you have a trip on the horizon? Try these tips to see whether they enhance your vacation experience. I’d love to hear your results or questions in the comments section.

For more about small projects, check out my Project Management Foundations: Small Projects course.

Coming Up

I’m almost done editing scripts for my Project Management Foundations course and started recording voiceovers at home August 18th. I head to Carpinteria to record live action September 9-10. It was the #4 most popular LinkedIn Learning course in 2025. And the improvements and enhancements we’ve planned might notch it higher in the rankings.

In this edition, I’m narrowing the focus to project managers’ most important responsibilities, key skills, and effective techniques. It will also emphasize the practical aspects of how everything helps you deliver successful projects in the real world. That will get you going quicker and make your efforts more effective. In addition to videos, the course will include text to provide background info, infographics for high-level perspectives, and AI role play to practice common PM situations. There will be two levels of challenges: easier ones for people newer to project management and others for project managers who want to move up. And the content will also be in line with PMBOK® 8th edition.

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