Ashley Stahl* says if used wisely, the Festive Season can be the springboard from which to launch into better things in the New Year.
The pumpkin spice lattes are back, last year’s summer clothes are being checked for size and the gift shopping list is being compiled.
The Festive Season is almost here.
Although this is one of my favourite times of the year, it is also one of the hardest to keep work afloat and make sure you don’t turn into a walking sugar cane.
Although cheer and gratitude are high during the holidays, productivity can take a major hit.
Some 62 per cent of companies report a dip in productivity during the holiday months.
Instead of letting the holidays distract you from your career, here are some ways to use them as an opportunity to get ahead.
Don’t do what everyone else is doing
Successful people are successful because they do what others are afraid to do.
When everyone else is going to one party after another, commit some of your free time to work on the project you know you have always wanted to do.
Maybe this means building a foundation for your side hustle, or writing an outline for that book you always said you’d write.
Set aside one hour a day, or seven hours a week, to focus on what will get you the furthest ahead in your work (or your heart).
By breaking it down into smaller chunks of time, it feels more doable and overwhelm will decrease.
You might be reading this and think I am telling you to become a workaholic, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
How much better will you feel after you spend that hour doing something that excites you and builds your career up for the New Year?
Use networking as a tool to build your community and stay sober
Stop partying, and start building connections.
It can be easy to let seasonal cocktails flow at each holiday party you attend, but this tends to leave you with a hangover at work the next day.
Alcohol releases major amounts of dopamine and serotonin that create feelings of euphoria, which can be great.
However, it leaves your body depleted of valuable hormones the next day, translating into sadness and nostalgia.
On top of this sadness, alcohol is a diuretic, which leaves you even worse off by literally dehydrating your body and shrinking the brain dura (the membrane that encases your brain).
Simply put, the holiday happy hour cocktails, if left unchecked, will set you back, not forward.
When you head to your next networking event or holiday party, consider sticking to carbonated water or non-alcoholic drinks.
A lot of people rely on alcohol to warm themselves up in social situations, but you could look at the event as an opportunity to connect with more intention and depth.
Tackle the event as an opportunity to connect with new people.
If you are going to show up, get away from the wall-flower vibe and introduce yourself to someone new at work.
Commit to being healthy — and don’t do it alone
Keep the feeding frenzy to a minimum. Just like drinks at a party, holiday treats are going to be everywhere.
Instead of baking home goods packed with chocolate and powdered sugar, get a group of co-workers and friends together to join a healthy living group.
Consider that a cigarette craving lasts 10 to 20 minutes; sugar and junk foods are not much different.
Prepare yourself, and stock up on healthy snacks at your desk. Bring in orange or cantaloupe slices which will help curb that sweet craving and give a vitamin C boost.
Set your goals now
The New Year will come before you know it, and it will leave you with only a few minutes to set your resolutions and goals.
You will be ahead of the majority by simply setting a goal or resolution since only three per cent of the population set goals, 80 per cent of which fail in the first 30 days.
If you want to be part of the eight per cent of people that reach their goals, start planning early, and set smart, realistic goals for yourself.
Spend the time up front to establish your goals and then lay out a detailed plan of how to get there.
Create something that is measurable, and has a clear purpose for why you want to accomplish it.
Be sure to mark check-in dates on a calendar to see how you are doing.
The things I have come to appreciate are the planners and journals that help you manage goals.
Instead of waiting for the New Year to hit, start planning now. You will be steps ahead of everyone else once the holidays come to a close.
The holiday season is not only a time to celebrate the people in your life and the year that is coming to an end, it is a great opportunity to set yourself up for success and get ahead before the New Year even starts.
Happy Holidays!
*Ashley Stahl is a career coach, keynote speaker, podcast host (You Turn Podcast) and author. In a previous life she was award-winning counter-terrorism professional. She can be contacted at Home – Ashley Stahl
This article first appeared at forbes.com.
