Tis the season!
Secret Santa. Holiday parties. Shopping. Ugly sweater contests. It’s fun, but it’s also hectic.
You should have some fun at this time of year. But alas, you still have work to get done.
Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the season—without falling behind:
1. Limit Your To-Do List
If you normally attack five big tasks a day, try to limit it to three or four.
That will give you time to finish your work—along with time to enjoy holiday gatherings and activities that happen this time of year.
2. Take Fewer Meetings
With everyone on vacation, it’s difficult to get the right people in the room during the holidays.
Don’t worry about it.
Use the phone, email, or chat messages to communicate. You might find you get work done faster anyway.
3. Avoid Shopping at Work
It’s so easy to jump on Amazon or eBay during work hours.
Avoid the impulse if you can. Online shopping is a perfect example of a time black hole.
If you have to do some shopping, try to use it as a reward. Finish a task, then do a few minutes of shopping. Just be sure to finish the task first.
4. Knock out a Full-Day Project
Some projects require deep focus. But that’s not easy in many workplaces, which are often full of distractions and interruptions.
As people take vacation, you might find yourself with a few days of peace and quiet: a perfect time for a full-day project.
Book a conference room for yourself, move in for a day, and knock it out.
5. Come Back (A Little) Early from Break
If it works for your schedule, come back a day or two early from break. That way you’ll have time without people in the office.
Why?
Because you can get a lot done if no one’s bothering you.
6. Use Your Out-of-Office Message
Let people know when you will (and will not be) available—along with why.
If you’re going to be away for a photo shoot, for example, say so.
And don’t forget to proofread.
7. Experiment With New Tools
Finally, with fewer meetings, December is the perfect time to try new ideas and new tools.
With a few hours of research, you can increase your productivity for years to come.
We’re biased of course, but we think our ever-growing list of Chrome productivity tools is a perfect place to start.
For example, we have the easiest way to save emails as PDFs (with one-click). And a tool to help you get responses from your coworkers in 3 minutes (or less!).
There are many more to explore, so start today!