Staying Focused During the Holidays
December 13, 2007
It’s hard enough to work during the holiday season when you’re at a normal job. But when you work from home it can be even more difficult to keep your professional and “party-goer” life seperate.
There’s two separate challenges that I’ve been experiencing, and maybe you’re the same. Because of the holiday season, I feel more like taking an afternoon off snuggled in with the kids and watching a Charlie Brown Christmas. There’s also so much to do between the shopping, the baking and the parties that work time is hard to come by.
Here are some tips for keeping focused during this busy time of year:
*Plan ahead!
Even though we’re in the midst of the hustle and bustle, there’s still time to plan wisely for work/life balance. Instead of trying to keep your same work pace, take into account the extra time you’ll need to run errands and relax. Close up shop to new projects, if possible. Or just let new clients know that you’ll get to them after the holidays. Most people this time of year are more relaxed with their needs anyway. You may not find that many who will be urgent to get work done before the end of the year.
*Make time for yourself.
Even if you’ve got a busy schedule between work and family obligations, make sure to time for just you away from the crowds and your laptop. It’s easier this time of year to burnt out. If you are at the end of your rope all of the time, you’ll be more likely to make mistakes or get upset with your loved ones. Take a long walk, watch your favorite movie or just sit in a quiet state for a while. You’ll feel much better.
*Take advantage of the seasonal writing opportunities.
This season is full of inspiration, from writing a memoir about your favorite Christmas of all time to offering tips for staying sane during the season. If you don’t normally write about your personal experiences, this time of year might be great to do so. Even if you don’t end up selling your pieces they are still great to exercise your writing muscles and stay in the holiday spirit.
Posted in Fun Stuff, Motivation
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December 14th, 2007 at 12:42 am
And most importantly, remember that you’re allowed to have a holiday, too
December 14th, 2007 at 7:29 am
I agree. You’re allowed to have a holiday
I do love writing holiday stories though!
Smiles,
Michele
December 14th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Great tips, Courtney! It is challenging to stay focused at this time of the year. I’m with James, though, and believe it’s okay to take a holiday, too.
This is probably the only time of the year when I allow myself to slow down and take a breather.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:55 am
We didn’t take any holidays last year at all, nor anything but one weekend this year (and Harry covered, so he didn’t even get a weekend).
Then we started realizing that, hey, yes, freelancers are allowed to have weekends off or a free day during the week to recharge. In fact, free time for writers is *vital* to productivity, creativity and earning income.
We’ve started to move towards having more weekends (or at least part of a weekend) to ourselves and taking holidays like everyone else does. It’s made a huge difference in our attitudes and happiness.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Making time for yourself is always important. I liked how you stressed this point, one thing that I always try to do is get alone time by myself, I try to stay away from everything and enjoy the couch or watch a good movie with no interruptions.
December 15th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Excellent advice, Courtney!
Many of us are obsessive enough about our work before the holidays roll around; but at this time of year especially, when the demands of the holidays intersect with our writing commitments, it’s far too easy to become pathologically busy!
Thanks for injecting a note of sanity into a season that can all too easily become a time of utter chaos!
Jeanne
January 4th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Ugh!
I have been writing for a long time, and I have to agree, this time of year is hard. I have such a hard time staying focused. My mind keeps going this way and that.
You had some awesome tips. I make a schedule for myself, and try so hard to stick to it this time of year. I am paying for my slacking now!
Thanks,
Stephanie