While it’s the most wonderful time of the year, it’s also the most hectic one. With so many things and events vying for our attention at once, it can be hard to stay productive. Rather than give in to seasonal dread, anyone can follow these simple tips and tricks to stay on task and make the holidays that much happier.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is one of the easiest ways to keep yourself productive. A common strategy is to look at the tasks you have looming prior to the holiday break, and break those down into the smallest possible units. This strategy has a few key uses. First, it gives you a clear starting point. Second, completing smaller tasks has been shown on a psychological level to activate dopamine centers in the brain, making it easy to build momentum and keep going rather than continually starting and stopping. Just a bit of planning can snowball your productive prowess!
Condense Your To-Do List
With time running short before the holidays, it’s time to prioritize. A giant to-do list can cause task paralysis. Condensing that to-do list into its most important elements can really help with clearing the most pressing tasks, leaving mental energy left over to tie up loose ends and enjoy the break knowing that you won’t have a deluge of work waiting for you when you return. The quality of work that you put out should be prioritized over an exhausting quantity of it.
Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries is the key to healthy relationships, and this is equally true in the business world. If you already have a lot on your plate, it’s not only okay but a mark of maturity to refuse additional work that you know you cannot handle. Setting, and enforcing, boundaries can keep you productive at a high level going into the holiday break.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Finally, technology exists to make human labor easier. A variety of software solutions exist for the sole purpose of keeping you productive under pressure.
One such software solution is Chuck. Chuck is a powerful email management tool that allows you to separate your deluge of daily emails across accounts into easy to navigate folders in order of their importance. Chuck helps you to clear the unimportant cruft and focus on what matters – letting you take your much needed holiday time off that much faster! Try it absolutely free today and take control of your inbox!
