As the summer winds down, many of us are trying to squeeze in a few days off before the cool weather and increased commitments of the fall kick in. After all, you wouldn’t want to leave any of your vacation days on the table — and we know that vacation is good for the brain and for personal productivity.

If you’re getting ready for a vacation, you might enjoy three good tips from Jason Womack for effectively wrapping up your work business before you hit the road.

1. Review outstanding business. Check to see what needs following up, which e-mail responses you’re still waiting for, and anything that’s on your to-do list.

2. Review your upcoming calendar. Look at daily reminders and timed appointments and make notes of any related action items.

3. Make a top 5 list. These are the must-do items that need to be cleared before you can take your R&R with a clear conscience.

Of course, if you’re the uber-organized type, you might also want to create a checklist for leaving the office.

One word of warning: don’t get into vacation mode too early. Your boss might not appreciate your laid-back, sipping-drinks-on-the-beach attitude at a staff meeting, and nothing makes a sendoff more sour than slacking off before you take off.

Finally, when you’re on vacation, be on vacation: try not to be one of the 25 percent of workers who stay in contact with the office while they’re supposed to be relaxing.

Reference: CC Holland courtesy of Entrepreneurship Blog www.aldainreid.com