With schedules lightened up, you can get yourself organized for the new year
The holidays may feel a little different this year, but nonetheless, the holiday season presents a great opportunity to recharge the batteries and set yourself up for a great new year.
Many use the holidays as a chance to take some time off work and come in fresh for the new year. However, some prefer to use the season as a chance to get some quality work done. With more peers taking time off, this presents a good opportunity to focus on forgotten tasks, lingering assignments and most of all, taking the opportunity to plan and strategize for the new year.
At the same time, even if you are working through much of the holidays, it’s important to use any extra days off you do have (Christmas, New Year’s Day, etc…) to relax and come in refreshed for the new year. After all, a break, both mentally and physically, will do you a world of good and ultimately make you more productive when you are back at the office.
If you are indeed planning on working through the holidays, here are some tips to keep you productive, while at the same time, making sure you’re refreshed for the new year.
1. Separate personal life and work
While this is somewhat of a year-round tip, it carries extra weight over the holidays, given that others in your household may have time off as well, be it your spouse from work or kids being home from school. Whether you choose to go into the office a few days or work from home, it’s important to have a proper workspace. You want to avoid any potential distractions that could occur due to working in a common area like your dining room table or living room.
Instead use a spare room or divide your workspace accordingly. Having personal distractions around will only hurt your chances of being productive. Conversely, you don’t want your mind constantly on work during your off hours.
2. Set mini goals for yourself… and rewards
Setting daily goals is a solid practice to gauge how productive your days are and how much you’re able to accomplish. This also helps motivate you throughout the day, as you can end your workday feeling good about completing the goals you’ve set out to do.
This is also a good way to offer yourself potential ‘rewards’ for reaching your goals. It could be something as simple as spending some time with your kids after completing an accounting report, having a nice snack after a successful meeting or taking a 15-minute power nap to get yourself re-energized.
3. Schedule time off – and stick to it
If you’re working throughout the holidays, there still are some days where the office will be closed. While staying tuned in for anything urgent is important, it’s equally important to use the time off to your advantage.
Having the extra time to recharge the batteries and spend some quality time with those around you will do a world of good for your mental well-being and will make you more productive when you are at work.
4. Use the extra time to plan for the new year
With many colleagues taking time off for the holidays, this could be a great opportunity to focus on your personal goals for the new year. How can you stay better organized? How can you better plan out your daily tasks? What goals do you want to accomplish for you (and possibly your team) in 2021?
Given that yearly evaluations will take place sometime before the end of the year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on your performance and find ways to start the new year off on the right foot.
5. Focus on tasks you’ve been putting off
It can easily happen to any of us. You want to fulfill every task that comes across your desk, but certain tasks have to be prioritized over others at times. Before you know it, you have several tasks piled up that you meant to complete weeks, or even months ago, sitting on your to-do list.
With things being a little quieter around the holidays, it’s a perfect time to tackle those lingering tasks and put a neat little bow on your calendar year.
Wrapping Up
Ultimately, you’ll know what works best for you as far as remaining productive at work, especially during this time of year. We hope these tips will help you perform to the best of your ability and enjoy the holidays.
Whether you’ve taken time off, or plan to work through all of December, we’d like to take this chance to wish you Happy Holidays and all the best in the new year.
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