November 16, 2016

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

Are you feeling anxious about the holidays this year? Maybe you’re working overtime to hit those sales goals and prepare for the end of the year, or maybe your time off work is being spent running errands around town for your holiday parties or travel plans. Either way, the holidays should be about spending quality time with your family and friends. Read our tips below to help manage that work-life balance during this hectic time of the year.

Prioritize                 

Before you even try to tackle all your projects, take a moment to write everything down. Categorize these tasks by priorities first. What is your top priority for the end of the year? Then, what is the second priority, etc.?

By setting your priorities, you’ll be able to use your time more wisely, set aside other projects that can wait, avoid distractions, and ultimately, free up your time outside of work.

Set Time Limits

Now that you have a list of what needs to be completed versus what can wait, it’s important to establish your work hours. It’s all too easy to spend longer on a project when “it’s almost finished.” But, schedule your time wisely, then enforce it, so you’re not tempted to stay late.

Also, remember to take breaks throughout your day. Consider using the 90/20 rule, working in 90 minute intervals with 20 minute breaks between; or even quick ten minute breaks in between could help you refresh and refocus on the task at hand.

Ask for Help

While you set your schedule, be mindful that some tasks may require longer hours. With this said, it’s important to still enforce your time limits. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if needed. Chances are your priorities are similar throughout your team, so consider delegating work to others on your team so you all remain on schedule to complete the project.

This can be said for work outside of the office as well. If you’re planning a holiday party, ask your friends or family to help with the cooking and decorating. This will allow you time to clean the house, and still have free time with your family each evening after work.

Push Back

Always keep your list of priorities and timeframes top of mind, so that when something else comes across your desk, you can decide if it can be completed on time or will need to be set aside for the time being. Don’t be afraid to scale back in order to complete your priorities, and still maintain a work-life balance.

Minimize Distractions

Make sure your priority is always number one on your to-do list. Don’t get too caught up in email or meetings, not applicable to your main task. Consider screening your phone calls; if you do not recognize a phone number or recognize as a sales agent, let it go to your voicemail.

In addition, while you’re at work, separate your personal life. This time of year, you may be handling outside obligations, but don’t allow those to occupy all your time at work. Put aside your personal mobile devices, purse, anything that can be distracting to getting your work done.

Unplug

Finally, when your set work time is up, focus on your personal life and your time with your loved ones. Work can wait until the next day.

If, however, your business requires you to be on call in emergency situations, you may not be able to turn your phone completely off. Still, make sure to establish a block of window dedicated solely to personal time. This may be during your family dinner, or the first hour after you leave work. Whatever time you designate, be sure to enforce it.