Christmas is around the corner and that can only mean busy times are ahead of us. The festive season is filled with after work drinks, visits to the Christmas markets and all those lovely Christmassy activities. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but also the most hectic and stressful. Your productivity can take a dive and working on your goals might get a bit more challenging. But not to worry. There are some things you can do that will help you to stay productive during the festive season.
Here are 7 tips you can do to stay productive and on track with all your plans during the festive season. Let me know in the comments which one stands out to you the most.
Related post: How To Have A Fantastic And Stress-free Christmas for tips on getting a grip on your Christmas planning so you don’t have those usual meltdowns and last minute present errands.
Start Planning Now
The earlier you start your Christmas planning and prepping the better. Make a list of all the things and activities you have to and would like to do over the next weeks. Then get cracking now.
If you can get most of the stuff sorted at the beginning of the festive season, you’re minimising any last minute rushes. Plus, you get to enjoy the Christmas season a lot more, knowing everything is taken care of and on plan.
Use Your Calendar / Planner
Your calendar will become your best friend during the holidays. Use it to keep track of all your appointments, meetings, parties and invitations you’re attending. This way, you know exactly when you’re free to work on your goals and to-does and when you’re out and about enjoying a tipple, perhaps a mulled wine?
Using your calendar or planner is the best way to schedule work and play time plus stay on track and productive during festive season with everything you want to do.
Schedule Downtime
Make time for the things you love during Christmas, it only comes around once a year. With that, I mean all the Christmas actives, winter walks, baking, crafting and dinner parties.
If you love all those things, you shouldn’t have to give up on them. There should be a fine balance between having fun, enjoying life, working on your goals and being productive during the holidays.
Also, winter is that time of year where you can and actually should give yourself permission to take a step back. Take it a bit slower and take time out to plan and reflect.
Taking time to plan and reflect is one of the most productive things you can do. It allows you to see and appreciate how far you’ve come, where you are right now and how far you’ve still got to go.
Be Realistic About Not Getting Everything Done In December (Maybe)
I love getting loads of things done and ticking of items on my get-to-do list. It’s one of the best feelings, sitting down at the end of the day and feeling that sense of accomplishment. But I also love Christmas and everything that comes with Christmas.
Naturally, I know that most of my days will be filled with some sort of Christmas related activities and tasks in December. Hence, I need to manage my expectations and workload.
I know I need to be realistic about how much I can accomplish in December. I need to be realistic about how much time I will have available to work on my goals and how much in general I can get done.
Being realistic for me means, knowing that I will have less time to work on my goals in the coming month, but more time to enjoy this time of year.
Have a sit down with yourself and take a good look at your goals and what you’ve got planned for December. Do you have enough time do work on your goals? Are you willing to sacrifice any winter and Christmassy traditions and activities in favour of your goals?
Set Fewer Goals In December
December is naturally busier than the other months of the year. Therefore, you have less time to work on your goals and it might fell more challenging to stay productive during this time of year.
If you’re like me, you prefer to make time for family and friends during the festive season, You also like to fill your days with baking cookies, buying presents and writing cards to everyone you love and adore.
With less time on your hands, it will be a lot harder to hit all your December goals. To take some stress of your back, I would suggest to either limit the number of goals you normally set for the month or perhaps give yourself some extra time to hit those goals.
Make The Most Of The Sunlight
In the winter, you wake up in the dark and finish work in the dark. It’s a very dark season basically 😉 You’re more likely to feel sleepy, tired and you might find it harder to concentrate. Plus, you’ve got less willpower and desire to get of the sofa and work on your goals. The blanket and cheesy Christmas movie looks a lot more appealing this time of year, right?
In the winter, actively choose to work on your goals and do your most important tasks when there is sunlight. Sunlight increases your productivity as it helps with staying focused, staying alert and efficient. So you’ll get more done working during daylight hours. As there is a lot less of that around in the winter, try and make the most of it.
Go For A Walk
The darker days make us sleepy and sluggish, too. Your first instinct might be to stay inside and snuggle up. However, this is counterproductive and can actually harm your productivity. How can you combat sleepiness and sluggishness? The simple answer is movement.
Grab your coat and head outside for a walk. It’s not just good for waking you up, it’s also good for your health. Moreover, it’s one of the easiest and cheapest ways to boost your productivity. Plus, you can even be super productive during a winter walk. You can listen to a podcast or audio book or give your Mum a quick call and check-in with her.
Which tip are you going to test?
If you found this post on Best Tips For Staying Productive During The Festive Season helpful, you might enjoy reading my post Easy Tips To Increase Productivity To Get More Done In Less Time.
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