6 Tips to Stay Present and Productive During the Holidays

During the holidays, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the parties, dinners, and socializing—not to mention busyness at work. To stay productive during this time of year, you need to manage your time effectively and be present with everyone you care about. Here are some simple steps businesses can take to stay focused on what’s most important during the busy holiday season:

1. Make a To-Do List and Check It Twice ...

The holidays are a time of year when many business owners feel pulled in many directions. You’ve got family coming over, work obligations, and parties to attend. Planning out your days ahead of time will help you stay on top of your game during this busy season. Whether you have five minutes or an hour to spare, take some time to write out all the things you need to get done, from buying gifts for loved ones to making sure your employees understand their responsibilities during the holidays.

2. Use the Peace and Quiet to Knock Out Projects ...

It can be tempting to take advantage of this extra time by getting caught up on emails or cleaning up around the office. But if you have too many tasks on your plate already, don’t fall into that trap! Instead, use this quiet time as an opportunity to focus on projects that require less input from others — like writing proposals or preparing financial statements. You’ll spend less energy worrying about other people’s needs and

more time making progress on things that matter

most to your business.

3. Commit to Fewer Meetings ...

The holidays are a great time to catch up with friends and family, but they can also be a dangerous time for business owners who spend too much time attending meetings. If you are trying to cut back on the number of meetings in your week, stick to one-on-one discussions with employees or colleagues instead of large group gatherings. This way, you’ll have more control over what you discuss and how long it takes.

4. Make sure your family, staff and business partners are prepared for the holidays, too.

It’s not just your customers that need attention during the holidays — it’s also your employees. If you have a remote workforce or people who work from home, make sure they know how to handle holiday distractions at home and how to balance their work with the rest of their lives. If you have in office staff schedule a time to celebrate or do a team office decoration.

5. Set up a holiday schedule (and stick to it).

If you can plan ahead when planning holiday hours, do so! With some advance notice, customers can make plans around when your business will be open and closed during key times like Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve/Day. This will also help you avoid any last-minute panic about staffing levels or customer service availability during those days.

6. Give yourself time limits (and stick to them!).

You may feel like you should be working around the clock during this busy season but try not to fall into that trap! Set aside time in your day — even if it’s just 15 minutes — where you can relax and enjoy some peace and quiet away from all things work-related. You deserve it!

Set realistic goals for your holiday schedule and determine what you need to do to survive the season. Give yourself permission to ditch social plans you know will be a drain on your energy (and patience). And remember that even if you’re not actually on vacation, it’s possible to create a sense of it in your mind—by focusing on activities that give you pleasure or meaning.