End 2014 like a champ
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Do you feel it, too? The desire to slow down, spend time with family, and finish EVERYTHING before the clocks strike midnight on December 31. You are ready, or after this you will be. I've amassed articles, and life/work hacks to help get you there.
- Do this first: Open your calendar right now and schedule one hour with yourself. The sooner, the better. Take advantage of that time by turning off your phone, and focusing on what you want to achieve in the next 30+ days (which can include enjoying your holidays) and what you need daily, weekly in order for it to happen.
- Overhaul your to-do list: During that hour you may want to create a Today list. The laundry list of everything you have to do is useful so long as you don't have to look at it all the time. This alternative gets you checking things off faster.
- Time blocking: I recently discovered *popforms and I admit that I'm now hooked. Their business and organizational advice is compelling. If a process helps you stay productive, they explain step-by-step how to do time blocking.
- Holiday survival guide: A string of parties can turn anyone into an introvert, though some of us are them year-round. Either way, this tip from Nancy Ancowitz, author of Self Promotion for Introverts, can put the season in perspective: "Just show your face at holiday events. Aim for one or two quality conversations."
- For business owners: Ever think of quitting? Right there with you. Here are two solid suggestions for staying the course from Her Corner, a peer group of women-business owners formed in Washington, DC that is now expanding nationally.
- When overwhelm strikes: If you get caught in the swirling vortex of comparison and not measuring up, try this simple mantra I first introduced in 2007: Eyes on your own paper. Virtual Assistant extraordinaire, Christina Leaman, made a printable version of it too.
What works for you? Please share your best practices and favorite articles.