Most of us like vacation. Most of us do not like the volume of work that greets us upon return from vacation. It might explain why Americans take less vacation time than those in other developing countries. Consider the post-vacation greeting from:

Hundreds of emails...waiting for your reply.

Dozens of voice mails...demanding some resolution.

Tens of projects...each needing attention.

Piles of paperwork...all arguing for space on your desk.

All of this can be pretty daunting but four simple hours of work can make up for it all. Here's a plan for tackling your work and still enjoying vacation:

Go into work for one morning during your vacation. I suggest a mid-vacation time (Wednesdays are perfect).

Dress casual. It will feel exotic and why not? Enjoy the moment.

Bring some java. I know, you'd rather cash in on the free coffee that work provides but go ahead and treat yourself to an expensive cup of tea of coffee. Look at it as an enhancement to your work-flow.

Process your work. Plain and simple- dive in and get into the zone.

What are the effects of this simple, four hour blitz of work? First, your vacation will thank you for it because you won't be stressing over the work you imagine piling up. Second, your work will thank you for it when you return. Third and most importantly, you know that you'll be working smarter than the rest of the bunch. This is not so much about competition but about finding a way to ease stress and capitalize on down time. Go for it!