Can I Get Work Done Between Thanksgiving and New Year's?

The holidays! We all love them, and, maybe a little bit, we dread them too. With about a month between Thanksgiving and New Year’s you’ve got to fit in family, friends, parties, shopping, and you still have to get your work done. Here are 5 things you can do to make sure that your business stays on track in between the many activities.

1. Write work hours into your calendar. You schedule holiday parties – do the same with your work time. If it’s scheduled, you’re more likely to sit down and get things done than if you’re trying to squeeze a few minutes of work between the arrival of family and shopping.

2. Find ways to reduce the load. You have a lot going on, so find ways to trim the wasted time from your day. Try to schedule phone calls or online meetings instead of in-person meetings you need to drive to, and do your holiday shopping online. Don’t waste your time and energy fighting crowds at physical stores.

3. Help yourself focus. The holidays are a social, party-filled and distracting time, so when you’re working, you need to be working. Minimize your distractions by putting your phone out of reach, temporarily block some websites (Facebook, Amazon) during your scheduled work hours, and give yourself definite goals for each session. You have less time – get more out of it.

4. Set up an internal rewards system. Are peppermint mochas your favorite holiday treat? Do you really want to spend more time at the party tonight? Institute an if-then rewards system for yourself. If you get this done, then you get to stay longer or sip your favorite coffee drink. Not only does this incentivize your productivity, it keeps you from wasting time and energy on feeling guilty because you broke your diet or spent time away from work.

5. Take care of yourself. December is stressful, and it won’t do you any good to burn yourself out. Take time to exercise, sleep, and be with family and friends.

The upcoming weeks are full of excitement and distractions, so take steps to make sure that your productivity doesn’t take a blow over the holidays. With a little work and planning, you can make sure that the holiday season is business-as-usual for your business.