2023 has certainly flown, and in what feels like the blink of an eye we are now approaching the end of the year. Melbourne Cup is just around the corner and people’s thoughts are already turning towards Christmas.
This is the time of year where in our professional lives it is easy to lose momentum, productivity, and focus. Distractions are high, Christmas parties are looming, thoughts go towards a break and it’s easy to lose focus.
Across organisations, deliverables and decisions are pushed back and the common thought ‘we will deal with it in the new year’ arises. This can be dangerous because you potentially risk what only seems like a few weeks of delays that can actually turn into nearly four months of lost productivity. By the time the holiday period is really over, the school year starts, teams are all back in the office, and motivation is high again, it’s February and you are now chasing your tail with work. I have been there before, and it is not fun!
Here are my tips on how to help maintain productivity and momentum leading up until Christmas and into 2024:
Set clear goals and deadlines
With the holiday season approaching, it can be easy to let goals and deadlines slip. To avoid this, take some time at the beginning of the month to set clear goals and deadlines for yourself. Then break it down even further to weekly and daily goals if you need. This will help you stay on track and avoid procrastination.
Set clear boundaries between work and personal time
It can be tempting to start holiday shopping or planning during work hours, but this can quickly lead to distractions. Instead, try to set aside specific times for personal tasks on your break or after work and stick to them as much as possible.
Avoid distractions
The holiday season can be a time of distractions, with parties, shopping, and other events. This includes social media, email and even conversations with coworkers. To avoid distractions, try to focus on work during work hours.
Have a strategy to finish the year strong
Even if it’s really tempting to push tasks and projects back until January, don’t if you can help it. Make a clear plan for what you want the team to have completed by Christmas Eve so that there isn’t a backlog to clear come January. A clear plan will keep momentum going and help everyone stay productive and on track to finish the year strong.
Hopefully, by following a few of these tips you can stay focussed for the rest of the year and hit the ground running into next!
MIKAHLA SMITH
Executive Consultant – Group Solutions
Mikahla began her career working for a small business consulting firm before joining Optimum Consulting in 2010 as a Consultant. She has since gained over 10 years’ experience in the industry and over this time has held a number of leadership roles (both onshore and offshore) and is currently an Executive Consultant – Group Solutions.
