6 Ways to Maintain Productivity During the Holidays

The holidays are right around the corner which means it’s time to sit back and relax, right? Not so fast. While many people take time off work to spend time with their loved ones, entrepreneurs are usually burning the midnight oil.

Because entrepreneurs are their own bosses, they can’t afford not to be productive during what is most likely their busiest time of the year. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t get to take time off. They just have to plan accordingly so they can stay as productive as possible before they take time off for the holidays. Keep scrolling for six ways entrepreneurs can maintain productivity during the holidays.

#1 Create a Schedule Specifically for the Holidays

Creating a schedule is a great way to organize your tasks and deadlines before the holidays. In addition, scheduling your days and weeks leading up to the holidays helps you manage your time more effectively so everything can be accomplished on time. 

Start Your Day with Your Hardest Tasks

Tackling your hardest tasks at the beginning of the day takes advantage of your most productive hours. Then, after your hardest tasks are done, you can end the day with easier tasks.

Get a Project Management Tool

Project management tools are great resources for keeping track of what tasks are done and which still need to be done. Sharing this resource with your employees can also help them stay on track and knock important tasks off their to-do lists.

Plan Projects and Tasks Ahead of Time

Try to map out all the projects and tasks that must be done before the holidays and set hard deadlines. Then, create a schedule you and your employees can refer back to throughout the season.

Planning projects and tasks ahead of time keeps you aware of everything that needs to be done and prevents any tasks from slipping through the cracks.

For example, planning your holiday marketing ahead of the holiday rush can create clear objectives for you and your team. In addition, planning out your holiday marketing early can reduce stress later because you’re not waiting until the last minute. 

Schedule Vacation Time for Yourself and Your Employees

Sometimes, it can be easy to get caught up in the holiday rush and forget to plan your holiday vacation. Taking time off as soon as possible is important so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Also, encourage your employees to put in their vacation time as soon as possible so you can plan accordingly. 

Plan 2023 Goals

The end of the year is here, which means it’s time to start thinking about what plans you have for your business in 2023. Take a look at the past year and analyze what your business did well and what went wrong. Documenting these analytics can help you plan your goals for the next year. 

#2 Make Customers and Clients Aware of Your Plans for the Holidays

Waiting until the last minute to tell your clients and customers you’re closing for the holidays may result in unwanted conflict or aggravation. So, try to let your customers and clients know when you will be closing for the holiday season to prevent confusion. 

#3 Set Boundaries

As a business owner, it can be easy to get caught up in your work and forget to set boundaries around your work and personal life. However, the holidays only come once a year, so spending as much time with your loved ones as possible is critical.

One way to set boundaries around your work time is to set designated “deep focus” time for larger projects and tasks. Setting “deep focus” times to get work done can remove distractions and boost productivity.

Another way to set boundaries is by having set working hours. During these working hours, try to only focus on work. Then, you can spend the rest of your time however you like. Also, it’s important to try and unplug after working hours are over unless it’s an emergency.

#4 Delegate

As a business owner, you probably have many urgent tasks you need to do before the holidays. However, you’re only one person and most likely can’t complete everything yourself. So, delegating non-urgent tasks to employees or outside help can significantly reduce wasted time and stress.

#5 Don’t Overload Your Plate

Try to learn the art of saying “no,” especially during the holidays. Taking on extra projects or tasks might be tempting, but doing so can prevent you from tackling your priorities.

#6 Avoid Multitasking

As the tasks pile up, you might take on a few at a time to get them done faster. However, multitasking is difficult for most people. Although they think they’re being productive, they’re actually less productive. Multitasking decreases productivity because switching from each task requires energy and focus. As a result, we burn out because we’re trying to do too much at once.

Instead, try monotasking. Although monotasking might seem less productive, it can help you focus on one task at a time and perform it to the best of your ability. Then, once you’re done, you can focus on the next task. As a result, you’ll check off more items on your to-do list without burning out or producing low-quality work.

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