Make sure that you have everything tied up in a nice, neat bow, so you can leave work where it belongs and enjoy the festive break.
It is genuinely hard to believe that in a little over three weeks we will be ringing in a brand new year – 2025. With that in mind, are you all set to wrap up your work so you can enjoy the festivities as they should be enjoyed, without any stress or pressure? If not, then read on to discover how you can get yourself organised before signing off this Christmas.
Make your list and check it twice
Just like how the big man in red does it, the best way to ensure that you are on top of everything that needs doing is to write up a list and check each item off as you complete it. To-do lists are an ideal way to keep track of your work as they allow you to set deadlines and prioritise in order of importance.
Having a visual representation of your work can also reduce stress, help manage the flow of work and even motivate you, as it is a sign of your accomplishments and progress to finalising what needs to be done. Additionally, because not every project or item can be wrapped up by the end of the year, it will help you strategise for the coming weeks as you settle back in, meaning you won’t feel overburdened.
Ditch spring cleaning for winter cleaning
To ensure you can step away from your work in the best possible headspace, make sure you put aside a bit of time for some digital and in-person housekeeping and organisation. That means physically and digitally reorganising your space by going through any old files, documents, emails etc and getting rid of the unnecessary clutter.
It’s also wise to take care of any housekeeping administration tasks, especially the ones that aren’t vital but need to be done, as you don’t want them to still be sitting there when you return from the break refreshed and recharged. Reorganising your space not only gets you motivated and excited for the break, but it also ensures that you can hit the ground running when you get back.
Assess whether you are on the naughty or nice list
End-of-year assessments, whether you are self-evaluating or looking for guidance from a co-worker, peer or manager, are a great way of gauging how far you have come and putting in place the goals you want to work on come the new year.
While I personally don’t subscribe to a ‘new year, new you’ philosophy (as you can always work on yourself regardless of the season), many find comfort in re-establishing themselves in January as it is motivating to have a starting point for all of the milestones you want to hit.
You should make use of assessment resources to gain insight into where you are professionally, to ensure that you are still on the right upwards trajectory and that you are experiencing growth, personally and professionally. If you feel that your career may have become side-tracked, it may also be worth speaking to your employer about how the organisation can support you in your goals.
Be selective about which lights you turn on
That is to say, when you think about it, humans are fractional. We are made up of multiple different people who represent something unique to everyone who crosses our path. For example, we aren’t the same person to our co-workers as we are to our families and we aren’t the same person to our families as we are to our friends. Everyone we meet gets a different version of us.
So, when you turn off the work lights, leave them off and make sure that you turn on the other lights that let you enjoy your break away with the people who matter the most to you, without having your mind wander back to laptops, stakeholders and tasks. All of that stuff is important, but your personal life is too, so give it the time it deserves.
You may want to set an automatic response on your workplace communications to let people know that you are not available until after the break and try not to answer emails or take calls from clients or consumers, as you should honour the boundaries you set.
Many people find it near on impossible to turn off when they are away from their work, so if it causes you more stress to go cold turkey (I will stop with the Christmas puns eventually) then checking in once or twice is no harm, just try not to make a habit of it and let yourself unwind while you can.
So, there you have it, if you follow this guide, in roughly two weeks you should find yourself ready to celebrate this festive period, in exactly the way you choose to.
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