3 Foolproof Ways to Boost Productivity During the Holiday Season

The holiday season brings a unique set of challenges for entrepreneurs and small-business owners alike. In my work as a productivity coach, I regularly see people rushing to accomplish as much as they possibly can during the holiday season. 

In fact, you may feel as if you must complete a year’s worth of work over the course of the final weeks of the year. However, this isn’t about working frantically until the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s. Rather, it’s about working strategically for the rest of the month. If you want to boost your productivity this holiday season the smart way, then use the power of prioritization. Try any one of these methods to boost your productivity levels during the holiday season. 

Focus on urgent year-end deadlines. 

You’re eager to finish all those open tasks, projects, and assignments. However, there’s a difference between wrapping up loose ends and trying to force every single open project to completion over the next few weeks. 

Now is the time to practice strict discernment in work prioritization. Take a moment to review open client rosters, project cases, and administrative files. What absolutely must be finished by the end of the year? Which forms, applications, declarations, files, and updates must be completed before December 31st? 

Once you’ve made a distinction between what must be completed right now and what can wait until later, it’s time to plan. Create a brief checklist of the priority items that you must complete, and use this as a guide through the remainder of the year. For everything else, make a similar list and schedule items into your calendar or project management program. Just like that, you’ve created a draft work plan ready for January and the following quarter. 

Create a holiday schedule. 

It’s not unusual to find overbooked holiday calendars. However, if you want to successfully navigate these scheduling challenges, you must have a plan in place. One thing you can do is create a plan for yourself for potential double-bookings. 

For instance, if you come across a double-booked entry in your calendar, you can plan to accept one entry and immediately reschedule the other for a date in the near future.  

Another thing you can do is negotiate different aspects of a meeting to free up time in your schedule. This will need to be done on a case-by-case basis, so feel free to use your best judgement here.  

Consider scheduling meetings via phone or video call or shortening the duration of a gathering. You might also reschedule non-urgent meetings to early in the new year.  

Allocate time for review and reflection. 

Holidays are meant to be spent in the company of others. However, having time for professional thought and reflection can benefit you and your business. Setting aside time for yourself affords you the space to review, evaluate, and process everything happening in the present moment. Even brief periods of time can be helpful during this busy season. 

Here’s what to do: Open your calendar and locate available time slots over the next few weeks. Now, book a few of these time slots to use at your discretion. You could book a few hours in the morning, block out an entire afternoon, or pepper in several hours’ worth of time during the week. Choose what works best for you and your schedule.

You may use this time to prepare for the holiday party, wind down projects, review important items, and reflect upon the past year. You can also use this time to wrap up any pressing items before going away on vacation or leave.