It’s finally December, the last month of the year! While that is exciting, stress increases with all the holiday celebrations and work deadlines for the end of the year. Utilize some of these tips to streamline communication and simplify your week.
Excel in time management. Let’s face it: time can get the best of all of us. If you don’t control your schedule, it will control you. Focus on concrete strategies in a world designed to distract. That’s where time-blocking comes in. Time blocking is a simple yet effective way to regain control of your time. Time blocking is a time management method that asks you to divide your day into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task or group of tasks, and only those particular tasks. Instead of an open-ended to-do list, this gives you a concrete schedule outlining what you’ll work on.
Next, prioritize tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix. The Eisenhower Matrix is a task management tool that helps you organize and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. Using this tool, divide tasks into four boxes:
- What to do first.
- What to schedule for later.
- What tasks to delegate.
- What to delete.
With effective prioritization, you will increase productivity and ensure that the most urgent tasks get immediate attention.
Empower others. Identify tasks suitable for delegation and empower team members by assigning responsibilities. Utilize project management tools to streamline collaboration and monitor progress. Offer clear instructions and provide support to ensure successful delegation. Be assertive but not aggressive because, keep in mind, team members also have a lot of added holiday stress this time of year.
Pomodoro Technique. Enhance focus during work periods using the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique was developed in the late 1980s by university student Francesco Cirillo, who struggled to focus on his studies. Feeling overwhelmed, he asked himself to commit to ten minutes of focused study time. Encouraged by the challenge, he found a tomato (pomodoro in Italian) shaped kitchen timer and founded the Pomodoro technique! Cirillo wrote a book about the method, but its most significant strength is simplicity. Now, using your smartphone or watch, set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on a single task until the timer goes off. When the session ends, mark off one Pomodoro and record what was completed. Enjoy a five-minute break and do some deep breathing or scroll on social media. After four Pomodoros, take a longer, more refreshing 15–30-minute break. If in the office, get outside for some fresh air and get some steps in. Looking at nature will improve focus and have a therapeutic effect on the mind to have a solid finish to the workday.
Stress-free December. After mastering all the techniques and methods, create a holiday calendar to plan work tasks around festive events and obligations. To amplify the holiday season feeling, purchase a holiday notebook and some colored pens to use or change the background on your iCal or Outlook calendar to something festive. Set realistic goals and deadlines to maintain productivity while allowing time for celebrations. Schedule the most urgent and stressful tasks early in the week for a more manageable schedule. This will allow for a more relaxed mind frame before celebrations since they typically fall on Fridays or the weekends. Establish boundaries by communicating with colleagues about availability during the holiday season. Be selective about who has access to your energy. Setting boundaries is not selfish, but remember, when saying yes to others, you are not saying ‘no’ to yourself. Don’t get distracted because you have dreams to chase, not people to impress!
We hope these tips will maximize efficiency and simplify your year-end rush.
