Ah, yes, the holidays - a time of goodness, cheer, gratitude, and ...distractions? Years ago the only thing we had to worry about during the holidays were what toys we would receive under the tree and if we made the 'nice list'. Now, we're adults, as much as some of us hate to admit it - and we have plenty of responsibilities as well as an office full of other adults depending on us. With so much excitement swirling around, (which honestly starts with Halloween) it's easy to slack off and coast through the coming weeks until that family trip or Christmas Eve dinner. However, December is crunch time for many companies as they close one year and prepare to begin another. For most companies it's also the end of Q4. While things may be coming to an end in many ways, don't let up just yet. Your work load may not be as insane as it was a few months ago, but that doesn't mean you should start your vacation early! Check out our helpful tips for staying focused this holiday season.

• Make a Schedule- “Paging Captain Obvious, this is ApplicantOne speaking: Make a schedule!” Yes, this is a no-brainer but you'd be surprised how many office workers fly by the seat of their pants and don't take the time to schedule out their days. We're already closing in on two and a half weeks (depending on when you read this) from Christmas Day! Start your schedule now. Weigh out your weeks, see what you can and can't do, and then go from there. Make a list in order of importance and try to make progress on that list every single day. For example, the biggest priority of mine is creating an eBook - obviously I will complete that today. Other items on my list such as our White Elephant office gift exchange, may fall a few pegs lower and I may not get to that until Wednesday. Now, depending on your diligence, you can sometimes work ahead of schedule - which is great! If you have bits of free time throughout your day, work on something not so stressful to allow for continued productivity. Don't allow for too much idle time.

• Time-Blocking- Time blocking can and should be your best friend! Once you make a schedule, set aside some time to actually work on that schedule. With so many great company-wide programs such as GSuite, you can update your digital calendar and set reminders, schedule events, and even invite others. Consider time-blocking 1-2 hours here and there to work on what needs to get done. That way, you're reminded of your tasks and will be kept accountable. It also allows your co-workers to see when you're busy to limit work place distractions.

• Put that Phone Away!- No, I'm not your mother, but I'll say it for her "don't spend so much time on that cell phone!" It's true, we're distracted all day long by technology and not even the technology we're supposed to be using. Yes, personal things come up and you may need to take a call here and there but ultimately, put the phone down. Instagram, Facebook, and your dating profile can wait until 5 p.m. What is meant as a 5-minute break can easily turn into 30-minutes - don't act like that hasn't happened before...we don't judge...too harshly. But seriously, put the phone away for most of the day. Lock it in your desk, turn on 'do not disturb', or at the very least, put it on silent. You'd be surprised how much more you're able to focus when you're not logging into Instagram 15 times a day.

• See How You Can Help- Depending on your position, it's very possible that you may run out of work. It happens, especially if you're a speedy worker. If you get down to December 20th and you're at the end of your to-do list, ask a co-worker how you can help - especially those on your team. You could also make it a point to ask your manager if there's anything he or she may need help with before the end of the quarter. Basically, this is a nice way of saying: make yourself useful. We have a whole blog on how to be a useful co-worker here.

• Work Ahead- This goes perfectly with our original point "make a schedule"- work ahead! Whether you've finished all of your work or not, in a business, no matter the size, there's always work to be done. If you have a big project coming up in February...start on it now. If you know you have blogs to write into January...start on them now. There's not time like the present and if you're finding yourself bored, what better time killer than working ahead? Future you will definitely thank you for your diligence. It can't hurt!

• Get Organized- If you really don't have any work to do and you've completed all of our suggestions , it’s time to organize. Your desk is probably cluttered, as well as your drawers and even the desktop on your computer. Take an hour or two each day to purge and clean. Start the new year off on an organized foot and don't come back after the holiday to a junked-up office. It adds to stress and doesn't allow for optimal productivity. Especially if you're busy picking up knocked over papers or tripping over open filing cabinets. Read about how to get organized here.

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