4 Holiday Time Management Strategies for the Office
It’s that time of year again! There is excitement in the air as the holidays are fast approaching, and with them comes lists of gifts to buy, invitations to consider, events to plan– all in a limited amount of time. Even with all the festivities, you still need to be productive during these last work days of the year. It can be hard to stay focused and manage your tasks so that you have time to enjoy everything going on around you. Here are this NYC Professional Office Organizer’s time management strategies for staying productive in the office during the holiday season.
Write every single thing down. Instead of keeping all of the tasks and projects you need to complete stored in your head, add them to your task list or to your project management system. Trying to remember everything, especially during a busy time of year, is a recipe for disaster. Following a to-do list will save you time, energy, and frustration over late nights in the office finishing up tasks that you forgot about.
Avoid multitasking. It can be tempting to hop online during a conference call and finish up some of your holiday shopping while waiting for a response to question. It may even seem like you are saving valuable time! But the truth is, by trying to do two things at once, you could be missing important updates or tasks assigned to you, and you’ll lose time later on trying to figure out what you missed. Stay focused and work on one thing at a time.
Keep home and work separate. Don’t bring your work home if you can avoid it. Give yourself deadlines in the office and commit to finishing your work by a hard stop time. Keeping work and home separate means that you will be spending focused and dedicated time on one or the other. You’ll be productive during your work day because you know you only have that time to spend working. You’ll then be able to enjoy your time with family and friends without excusing yourself to work or check your email.
Don’t over commit. This is so important this time of year. The holidays bring with them parties, events, and other commitments that can eat up a lot of your time. Remember that it’s okay to say no! You aren’t obligated to attend every office party or client event that you are invited to, so keep that in mind and pick and choose which events are most important to you.
Remember that the holidays are supposed to be a joyful time of year, not chaotic and overwhelming. In order to manage your tasks and still have enough time to enjoy your favorite events of the season, you need to prioritize and stay focused. For more time management tips and strategies, reach out to this NYC Professional Office Organizer.