I was in the middle of writing this newsletter on a different topic when I realized this is the last one I’ll be sending in 2023.
I was also having major mental blocks trying to concentrate on the newsletter while worrying about some client projects to finish this year, preparing customer marketing plans for the new year, and juggling my daughter’s Christmas spirit week and performances.
That’s when I realized I was writing on the wrong topic.
With everything you have to do during the holidays for your business and your family, it’s no wonder so many people burn out.
But I want to prevent your burnout, not stress you out about it. So instead, I want to talk about slowing down in the remaining weeks of the year.
You Always Have More Tasks than Time
One thing I’ve realized in 25 years of working for companies big and small is that your list of tasks will never be zero.
Sure, you may hear wealthy entrepreneurs tell you they’ve created a life that allows them to work one or two hours a day but they’re usually trying to get you to buy their system.
You’re already juggling things in your life and even if one challenge suddenly became easy and you found yourself with extra time, you would probably take on a new challenge. And with new challenges come new tasks.
Take it one task at a time
So, if you can accept there will always be more tasks than time to finish them all, the best thing you can do is prioritize and work on them one at a time.
Take your task list and identify the most urgent 1 to 3 tasks.
Why only 3? Because any more than that and you’ll find yourself stressing over time again. With three, you can slow down and dedicate enough time to each until they are done.
And because they were the most urgent, likely with a higher payoff, you’ll feel the benefits even if you only get to those three.
(If you’re looking for more time management tips, you can check out this post)
Your List Will Still Be There January 1st
We all have a tendency to blow things out of proportion when facing deadlines.
But while some deadlines may be immovable, like having your booth and presentation ready for an upcoming trade show (anybody attending CES?), most deadlines are artificial and can be moved at least by a day or two.
So if your tasks don’t vanish when the clock strikes 12 on December 31, why do you have to get to all of them before that day?
Be proactive instead of reactive
You have a unique opportunity once you accept that some tasks can wait. Take a moment to go through the things you need to do and identify those that can wait, even if they have a soft December deadline.
Then go to your customers, your staff, your vendors, or whoever is affected by pushing the tasks out and let them know ahead of time that due to the various slowdowns of the holiday season, you’ll need to push these out until January.
Also, don’t take on new tasks
It’s inevitable. People like to use December to plan things that happen in the new year.
If you’re a party planner, your customers may come to you in December with ideas for summer events they want to get a jumpstart on. The same goes for weddings and other events.
Of course you can take the job but you can set up your first in-person discussion with your client in January rather than now.
If you have a store and deal with different distributors, they too may start getting you to commit to new products in December. Don’t do that. Tell them you’ll think about it but rather wait until the new year to review the product and make a decision.
You Miss Things When Buried in Tasks
As you run your business, especially when it’s a young business, you can get lost in the day-to-day tasks.
You start your day, figure out what is needed, and make things happen.
Before you know it, it’s the end of the year and you’re so busy in your task list that you don’t know what may lie ahead.
You have to be able to ask yourself and answer several questions as you close out the year:
- Were you profitable?
- Did you meet sales goals?
- How can you increase sales next year?
- Do you need to raise prices?
- Will your customers handle a price increase?
- Are your prices competitive?
You can’t answer these questions when you’re spending all your time on the immediate needs.
Back away to get a better view
The last weeks of the year are a good time for you to slow down enough to back away from the business to take a look at the market.
It doesn’t matter if you’re catering to other businesses or you’re running an auto body shop. The economy and your industry change over time and you have to pay attention.
It’s the Holiday Slowdown
December is a demanding month and while you may not want to slow down, it may be the best time to do it — for the health of you and your business.
Depending on your type of business, there are external forces to justify your slowdown publicly. Vendors stop shipping and people are less likely to enter contracts.
If you run a brick & mortar store, this is a busy time for you. However, you can let your employees deal with the day-to-day while you slow down and look beyond this shopping season.
If you run a web store, this is not the time to experiment with your site. Focus on promotions and keep things as close to auto-pilot as possible.
Embrace the holiday slowdown, prevent burnout, and hit the ground running in January!
