(2 minute read)
There’s been a common cry of anguish in many recent discussions, whether around the metaphorical water-cooler or at the family dinner table; “I can’t believe it’s December already!”
So many of us claim to feel crept-up-on or surprised as we turn the page of our monthly calendar, only to realise it’s the last page for the year. Then we notice that the 25th is shaded or highlighted, as is deserved by the ubiquitous Christmas Day, and that we wind-up our work year a few days before that – effectively 2/3 of the way through the month.
Then the dread sets in!
For too many of us, this can lead to feelings of despair or despondency.
- We’re ‘cooked’.
- We want closure on tasks and projects.
- We look back on what targets or goals we’ve missed.
December shouldn’t be the time when you prove your worthiness through forced productivity.
As with any other discernible period of the year (end of month/quarter) December should prove an ideal opportunity for reflection and perspective – not punishment.
So, to put things into perspective, consider the following:
- Remain focused and present with your work-related tasks. The bright, shiny prospect of Christmas is highly alluring, but avoid the temptation of it becoming all-consuming at the expense of your work focus.
- Schedule, Diarise and Time-Block. If ever there was a month to be organised, this is it. Yes, there will be family and work-related functions. Yes, there will be year-end meetings. Schedule them and protect them accordingly.
- Perform a ‘Gain Analysis’. While a ‘Gap Analysis’ highlights where we are versus where we wanted to be, a ‘Gain Analysis’ identifies how far we have come from the start of the year – the progress we’ve made, and the wins and successes along the journey.
- Draft an ‘Unfinished Business’ List. The Christmas – New Year break has an amazing ability to clear our head of work-related projects (and that’s a good thing). So, create a list of tasks and projects that were unfinished at the end of December to kick-start your return to work and give your memory a quick refresh on where you left off.
Our ability to unwind or decompress during any break from our working life says something about our relationship with work and the need to regain more control where we can.
Or, as Mahatma Ghandi poetically reminds us; “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”