The holiday season can be a challenging time for accountants and other professionals who work in CPA firms. You may be planning for busy season, cramming in some last-minute CPE, or helping clients with year-end planning—not to mention taking some well-deserved time off to spend with friends and family.
It's understandable if you feel anxious and overwhelmed, but here are some strategies for maintaining productivity at work while also taking time for fun and relaxation.
Make time for downtime
Taking time for yourself during the holiday season can be difficult, but it's essential for maintaining your productivity and well-being. Take time each day to disconnect from your work and your to-do list—whether that's taking a walk outside, meditating, reading for pleasure, or meeting friends for lunch or coffee.
Closing your laptop and putting your phone away for a little while will allow you to rejuvenate so that you'll feel recharged, motivated, and ready to focus when you're at work.
Ask for flexibility
If you're not already working flexible hours or remotely, talk to your supervisors about building flexibility into your work this month.
Flexible hours can help you better manage your time during this busy time of year. And working remotely can be especially helpful if you have kids on holiday break or other caregiving responsibilities. It also eliminates the need for a time-consuming commute when you're already feeling crunched for time.
Even if your firm's leaders don't support flexible and remote work, they might be willing to allow it for a short timeframe knowing you'll be back in the office when busy season ramps up in January.
Choose your priorities
This can be a tough time of year to get work done. Your clients and coworkers might be taking time off or just not responding to emails, and other people's calendars are full. So rather than getting frustrated, work on tasks and projects that don't require input from others—even if that means you just spend a lot of time planning for work you'll get done in January and beyond.
If you can get time with clients and coworkers, pull them into your planning process. It can be extremely helpful to hold planning meetings now instead of waiting until January. Then you'll be ready to hit the ground running in the new year.
Manage your own expectations
Some people expect they'll be just as productive during the holiday season as they are during the rest of the year, but this is usually unrealistic.
There are a lot of distractions during the holiday season, so setting realistic goals and expectations for yourself is essential. So cut yourself some slack and focus on what you can realistically achieve in the time you have.
Most importantly, enjoy the holiday season! It's a time for celebrating with friends and family, so don't feel guilty about taking some time off. The work will surely be there when you're back on January 2nd.
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As a Project Coordinator for Boomer Consulting, Inc., Kye is is excited to be part of a company that is making change happen. Her primary focus is assisting with Boomer Consulting’s Training programs and supporting, planning and executing projects.