Quiet mornings, mimosas at brunch, sunbathing, and napping—all these are yours so long as you can actually get to your vacation. But more often than not, what stands between you and your OOO is a laundry-size pile of tasks to finish at work.

Here are a few ways to streamline your out-of-office prep so that you don’t feel like you need a vacation just from getting ready for your vacation.

Ask what really needs doing. It’s tempting to close out all your projects, delete every Chrome tab, and snap your laptop shut—but it’s never going to happen that way.

• So try to prioritize what tasks are “nice to haves” before you leave, and what actually needs to get done.
• Crank through the urgent, high-priority tasks and leave the rest for later. (The Eisenhower Matrix is a great tool for knowing which is which.)

Let me check my schedule. Pull up your calendar and review the meetings that are booked while you’ll be out. Send a note and cancel the ones you can (e.g., one-on-ones, check-ins), or have a trusted teammate fill in for you.

Craft an OOO guide. Think you can write better instructions than an Ikea manual? Now’s your chance. Share details on ongoing projects that you lead, ownership while you’re out, and most importantly, any passwords and other necessary log-in info.

• Let your team read this async and come to you with any questions before you leave.

Make a reusable checklist. Don’t spend any more brainpower trying to remember what you’re forgetting. Create a checklist that you can use over and over, detailing all the small things that always need to be set up before you leave.

• For example, set your calendar to OOO (personal and public), add an automated reply email, and update your Slack status.
• Make sure to add stock language, too, that you can copy and paste for all future trips.

You deserve a vacation, not working double time just to get out the door. So start prepping early, and don’t forget to silence your notifications once you’re finally on break.—CS

A sad bit of news: Canadian entrepreneur David Gilmour died earlier this summer at the age of 91. You may not recognize his name, but you surely know his most famous product—there may even be one in your backpack or a few in the office fridge: Fiji water, known for its fancy square bottles and as the easiest way to spend $10 at the airport.

• Gilmour got the idea for his artesian water while staying on Wakaya, his private island in Fiji. (He spotted someone drinking an Evian on the golf course.)
• And it wasn’t the only lightbulb moment he got there. “Ideas come to me when I’m sitting on the island,” Gilmour said. “It’s given me every good idea I’ve had in business.”

We can’t all have our own private island, but we can have a quiet storage closet—or the perfect walking route in the park—where we can find inspiration on the daily.

You may instantly know where your idea-generation place (or situation) is, but if you’re stumped, here are three questions to help suss out where you do your best thinking:

When am I the most creative? For the Raise editors, we’re morning people—so our best ideas come to us with the first cup of coffee.

• Finding out the when can help you identify a where.

In which contexts do I come up with my best ideas? Are you in motion? Do you prefer to be seated and cozy? Would you want to be alone or with a group?

How can I sustainably repeat the contexts in which I’m the most creative? If you like to be active, you could take a SoulCycle class or go for a run. If you prefer peace and quiet, is there an undisturbed spot where you can sneak away to think?

• And for those who thrive on chaos, just pop onto the 7 Train after a Mets loss or head to the Newark Airport during rush hour.

Once you figure out your spot, head back there anytime you need inspiration and let the great ideas wash over you like the world’s freshest tropical water, bottled at the source.

POV: Your boss just emailed you asking for updates on a project ASAP. And you don’t have those numbers. Your coworker, who’s on vacation this week, does.

Stop this nightmare by signing up for the Brew’s Business Dashboards course immediately.

• You’ll save yourself the headache by learning how to craft and share dashboards that monitor in real time the problem you’re solving for.
• And you’ll walk away with a completed dashboard for anything you (or your boss) want to keep tabs on.

The one-week virtual course starts this Monday (July 24).

Sign up today.

Like anyone who saw a TV being rolled into sixth-period math class knows, learning is a lot more enjoyable when you’re relaxing with a good video and a bowl of butter popcorn.

So the next time you want to learn about the business world but don’t want to give up movie night, try hitting play on one of these fictionalized takes on real biz events:

BlackBerry. This story of the (former) Canadian cell phone powerhouse has it all—hostile takeovers, wild ’90s fashion, and a man yelling at a bunch of engineers. Bonus: It’s actually funny. Check it out here.

Air. Get a look at the partnership that started the trend of sports stars hitting Forbes’ Richest People list. Rent it here—and if you want extra credit, pair it with Nike co-founder Phil Knight’s account in his book, Shoe Dog.

The Founder. If you’re looking for ruthless business strategy à la Wall Street but with hamburgers instead of stocks, you’re in luck. Though less about the history of McDonald’s and more about the history of its former CEO Ray Kroc, it’s a tough but interesting watch. Rent it here.

Flamin’ Hot. The spicy and beloved Flamin’ Hot Cheeto didn’t come out of a food science lab. Get the full scoop in this movie about Frito-Lay janitor-turned-marketing-exec Richard Montañez. Watch it here, and then read this article that may disprove the whole damn thing.

Moneyball. A classic, and still worth the watch: Moneyball takes a look at how baseball went from a fun pastime to a data analyst’s dream, thanks to Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane. Stream it here.

Read: When does a flat org chart actually work?

Listen: What the best leaders in the biz know (hint: avoid the “logic box”).

Sports: Now that the new tennis champions have been crowned, let’s get down to brass tacks. Here’s why Wimbledon leaves $75 million on the table.

Warm your heart a little: How employees at a Connecticut dry-cleaning store are rescuing tiny turtles.

Shop: You create pivot tables in your sleep; you eat macros for breakfast. The only thing you still need to level up your Excel game? Our best-selling Freak in the Sheets mug.

Career Advice is where we ask industry experts about the best tactics that have helped them level up.

Adam Barney lives in Boston, where he’s a growth coach and a member of the Alumni of Learning Brew Advisory Board. Here’s the best career advice he’s ever gotten:

“There are no stupid questions! It’s a simple piece of advice, but it aligns nicely with a growth mindset. Thankfully, I got this advice early on in my nonlinear marketing career from an agency SVP.

• Knowing that asking questions about business, processes, etc. was never wrong—that helped me build my confidence.

Don’t forget that most questions have been asked at least once before. So ask questions when you have them—just don’t ask the same question a dozen times.”