8 Holiday Productivity Hacks to End the Year

The most wonderful time of the year is also the busiest time of the year for many of us. Between end of the year activities at work and holiday festivities, it’s easy to miss out on the very things that imbue the holiday season with meaning. So, how can you get everything done and still have time to truly enjoy time with friends and family this year? Here are some holiday productivity hacks to get the most out of the season.

8 Holiday Productivity Hacks

1. Ritualize Work Tasks

By building rituals into your work routines, these activities become habitual and less disruptive to workflow. Even small ritualistic work habits like only answering emails between 2pm and 3pm or returning phone calls before lunch mean that you won’t be switching focus from other tasks to attend to these items and losing valuable time in the process. The more structured and rigid you are with this approach, the better it will work.

2. Find Your Productivity Sweet Spot

Figure out what time of day is your “golden hour.” This is the time of day that you are generally firing on all cylinders. For some people, this is first thing in the morning, while others kick into high gear in the afternoon. Whatever it is, find that sweet spot and schedule your most difficult tasks for this time.

3. Wrap Up the Year Early

This year, give yourself the gift of peace of mind by aiming to get your most important projects done by the middle of the month. The closer we get to December 31, the busier we get. Consequently, try to avoid scheduling critical tasks for the final week of the year, so you can hit the ground running come January 1.

4. Change Up Your Work Environment

Switch gears and get away from it all to get more done in less time. This could be working from a coffee shop or just the conference room. A new environment for a couple hours can make you more invigorated and productive. Furthermore, this makes it more difficult for coworkers to interrupt your workflow.

5. Rely on Lists

This is probably one of the most old-school holiday productivity hacks. But, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using this tried-and-true method to stay organized and on top of your game. Make gift lists, food lists, work lists, etc. Crossing off items as you finish them boosts energy and provides a greater feeling of control.

6. Bundle Tasks

If you can, try to schedule similar tasks for the same day so that you don’t have to switch modes as often. For examples, instead of scheduling meetings for different days of the week, try to schedule all your meetings for the same day of the week so that you can just switch to a meeting mindset for that day away from your regular routine rather than going back and forth every day.

7. Say No and Prioritize

It may prove to be impossible to do everything you want or think you need to do. Give yourself permission to say no and be gentle with yourself when you have to let something slide.

8. Take Care of Yourself

It can be more difficult to eat right, exercise and adequate sleep during the holidays. Make self-care a priority and you’ll see a discernible boost to how you feel and what you can get done.