Plan for the Unplanned

The holidays tend to be a time when offices close, people travel and are out of the office, and work generally gets a little quieter.

Everything else may be slowing down, so now you’ve got some extra time on your hands. Here are a few ways to take advantage of the holiday slowdown and invest in yourself:

Review what you've accomplished this year. Analyze your professional and personal progress from the past year. Take a good and hard look at the goals you set at the beginning of the year. See where you were successful or where you fell short and learn from those mistakes or shortcomings. Congratulate yourself.

Set goals for next year. What did you set out to accomplish in the New Year that you didn't get to but still hope to? Take advice and feedback provided during the past year and use it to set realistic goals for yourself for the coming year. Strategize and plan now while you have the time.

Get organized. Now is a great time to get junk off your desktop, organize files, cleanup your inbox, etc. Backup your files if they aren't already backed up to a shared drive. The extra time gives you the opportunity to declutter the house as well and make holiday Goodwill donations.

Read a book. The shelf full of books you've ordered that you haven't gotten to? Use some downtime to get through some books on your reading lists! As we at Advoco like to say, "Leaders are readers."

Express gratitude. Let your employees, teammates, and customers know that you appreciate them. Thank them for their work and for their business. Let your significant others, family, and friends know that you love and support them.

Spend time with friends and family. In a world where it feels like we don't have nearly enough time, spend what little time we do get during the holidays with those you love. Use the free time to catch up with friends you haven’t gotten a chance to see in a while or colleagues that you don't spend enough time getting to know.

Take time to do what you enjoy. Whether it's giving or volunteering, participating in a hobby (like yoga, or arts and crafts), taking a new online course, or learning a new language, take some of this downtime and do something for yourself that you enjoy.

This season, take the time to relax, recharge, and recover. Come into 2019 ready to hit the ground running.

Until next time…we are Advoco, make every minute count.

About Leah: As a Solutions Consultant at Advoco, Leah is responsible for implementing and configuring EAM solutions for our clients. She graduated from Georgia Tech (Go Jackets!) and has experience in the mobile industry. When she's not in office, you can find her spending time with family, taking her retriever mutt Tucker for a walk in downtown Greenville, or traveling for pleasure (she has an ambitious bucket list). Have a question for Leah? Send her an email!