How to Stay Motivated at Work During the Holidays

(Note: this post originally appeared on Youtech & Associates' blog)

In case you’re still shaking off the tryptophan, Thanksgiving happened last week. You probably ate too much, drank too much, slept too much, shopped too much, and, ultimately, let yourself slide too much. We’ve all been there and, make no mistake, the week of non-stop gluttony and sloth can be a welcomed “reset” after a busy 11ish months. What’s not welcomed, however, is the hangover effect caused by sleepwalking through December and into January (and sometimes even February!). It’s pretty easy for the average person to hit autopilot and cruise through the finish line because Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and endless amounts of parties and activities take up more of our time, energy, and focus. Instead of drifting aimlessly through the next 4-8 weeks, utilize some of these tips on how to stay motivated at work during the holidays.

Create a To-Do List (and prioritize it)

Year’s end often coincides with closing out projects, invoices, fiscal years, and budgets. The more you can cross off your list now, the better you’ll be able to tackle 2016’s goals and initiatives. According to productivity coach Casey Moore, “The psychological relief of clearing your mental clutter and then removing some burdens is immense. It makes your holidays more joyful and energizes you to accomplish your front burner tasks.” Tools like Basecamp and Teamwork can help your list-building and organization thereof.

Exercise Your Body (and mind)

You’ve probably worked hard all year to get or stay in shape. Don’t flush all that time and energy down the toilet even though it’s really easy to make excuses for pigging out. Even taking a ten minute walk around your office building could suffice. Science continues to tell us that have a strong body enables a strong mind and strong spirit. Speaking of a strong mind, take on a new responsibility or task at work. This won’t just help you get motivated it will help you stay motivated at work during the holidays because it changes your routine and creates new habits. If the thought of adding more to your plate makes you want to immediately grab the spiked eggnog, then try something as simple as a new route to work or reading a book. If you want bite-sized versions of the world’s best non-fiction books, check out Blinkist.

Reflect on and Share Accomplishments

You busted butt all year for your clients, employees, managers, and family, take some time to think about why and how you performed. If you nailed all your goals, awesome job, but figure out how you can sustain that success in 2016. If you fell short in any area, try to understand why. Gathering feedback from those around you can be of crucial importance. Granted, no one wants to hear criticism during a time of joy, but it could be just what you need to knock next year’s goals out of the park. CommsGap is a pretty fun way to increase employee engagement and feedback.

Don't Make Excuses

This doesn’t just mean to your boss or manager or spouse; don’t make excuses for yourself. Life is only as hard as we make it for ourselves. When you adopt an attitude of accountability you won’t sweat the small stuff and have a higher level of expectations. Managers have heard every excuse in the book, “the customer won’t call me back,” “I’ve been really busy online shopping,” “my nephew’s best friend’s third cousin’s dog was diagnosed with diabetes,” and millions more. Do you want to be that person who sounds utterly ridiculous or do you want to be the one who can be counted on for keeping others motivated? Accountability is, arguably, the best way to stay motivated at work during the holidays.

What did we miss?

Do you have a secret hack on how to stay motivated at work during the holidays? Great! Comment below.