8 Tips to Keep You Productive This Holiday Season Between planning holiday getaways, attending parties and finding time to shop for gifts, December can be a difficult month to stay on-target with professional goals and to-dos.
By Fred Mouawad Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The holidays are a time for family, fun and, unfortunately, distraction. Between planning holiday getaways, attending parties and finding time to shop for gifts, December can be a difficult month to stay on-target with professional goals and to-dos.
To help keep employees on-track and productive at the office this holiday season, here are eight productivity tips.
Related: Holiday Shopping for an Entrepreneur? Follow These Do's and Don'ts
1. Enjoy the time off with your loved ones.
Being productive doesn't just mean figuring out ways to work better, it also means figuring out how to rejuvenate yourself. The holiday season is something we all look forward to every year. Do something special; spend quality time with your loved ones. You'll be surprised at how much this will help you to become more focused at work.
2. Shake things up at your workplace.
Try to create a festive atmosphere at work. Holiday decorations, lightings and treats might seem childish to some, but they boost the morale of the entire team. Not only does incorporating a festive atmosphere at work positively affect the performance of employees but not paying attention to the fun nature of the season might inadvertently leave a bad taste in their mouths.
3. Have an informal feedback session.
Sometimes, feedback given in an informal way has a more lasting impact than formal performance reviews. Take advantage of the light-hearted, festive atmosphere to have a group feedback session, where every team member has to state one positive quality and one area of improvement for every other teammate. This will create stronger team bonding, encourage feedback from multiple sources and, at the same time, provide direction to everyone for the new year.
Related: 5 Ways to Ensure Your Virtual Workforce is Productive During the Holiday Season
4. Make a list and check it twice.
Don't be afraid to have a list for everything. Whether it's buying gifts for friends, family and coworkers, or having a list of projects that need to be wrapped up before the New Year, a checklist makes everyone more productive.
5. Try to finish most of your work by the first half of the month.
As we get closer to the end of the year, it's only natural that people will start getting into the holiday spirit. Try to finish all your critical tasks during the first half of the month and don't schedule important meetings in the last two weeks of the year, unless it's an emergency.
6. Stick to a healthy routine.
The holidays are a time when routine goes out the window. We have all had that moment in January when we look back on all the ways we indulged in during December and regret some of the choices we made. Sticking to your regular exercise routine and controlling portion size over the holidays will allow you to keep a semblance of normality so that your energy levels are up and you can hit the ground running when you need to go back into work mode.
7. Make the most of your lunch hour.
December may be the month to stick to your desk during lunch, so you can leave an hour early to run errands. Or you can be proactive and use your lunch hour to write holiday cards, address gifts or do a quick a shopping run.
8. Don't get distracted by shiny objects.
This is the time of year when everything is pretty, frosted, tasty and shiny. It's great to get excited about the holidays, but now that you've made it this far, don't lose sight of those important tasks so you can wrap up the year in style.
