Anything But "Picking This Up In the New Year"
Instead of putting everything off and coasting, here's what you can actually do to get ahead in the last month of the year.
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Anything But "Picking This Up In the New Year"
It’s that time of the year again! It’s time for you to hear some variation of the phrase “can we just pick this up in the new year?” about 10 times a day. This is especially true if you’re in sales or managing complex projects. It’s always been among the most frustrating things to hear from partners and I’ve tried to ban this from companies I’ve worked at with varied success.
So, maybe you’re different and you don’t want to waste the next 6 weeks of your life. But you can’t do it alone, so you can’t do much to move those deals forward or push the project to completion. It’s annoying for those of us out there that can’t just sit at home and do nothing.
I tried this once in between leaving one company and starting another. I had two weeks all to myself and thought it would be the best thing ever. Just time to chill out and relax. I got up, make some coffee, and flipped on Sportscenter. About an hour later I was already bored.
It’s not that I’m a crazy workaholic, it’s just that I can’t really be idle. I did manage to find some things to do during that break and I’ve had several others in my career (intentional and unintentional). So, if you’re looking for some ideas on what you can do during this society-imposed slow time of the year, I have a bunch of ideas for you. These aren’t going to be for everyone, but there’s probably going to be something here that makes sense for you.
Please feel free to add your own ideas in the comments!
Read a Book - Reading is often a time luxury that many people don’t have. Read something and make it NOT a business book. I don’t care if it’s fiction or non, just make it something you’re interested in. Reading is great for your brain and your overall mental well-being.
Exercise - This is especially important if you’re not someone who regularly exercises. Why not start a new routine now when you can’t blame time constraints for not doing it? I’ve covered the importance of health in a past post, so I won’t rehash that here. Yes…even during this time of the year (and even more so) with lots of treats and temptations, go for a run or pick up something heavy.
Update Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile - Not that you’re going to start looking for a new job in the new year, but you never know. It’s good to keep this up to date because there may be someone out there searching for someone just like you and it could be the opportunity of a lifetime. There are a ton of AI-based tools that make this a much less daunting process (I recommend Teal) than it used to be.
Network - Take it from someone who keeps missing the mark here. Networking should be something ongoing and not just when you need something from your network. You need to keep it fresh and you never know what might come from it. And since everyone else is in the same lull at the end of the year, you should have no problem finding a time that works for everyone.
Optimize Processes and Automate - This can be on a personal level at home or for your work projects. What better time to make everything work a bit better than when the “machines” aren’t running at full speed. (PS: this is something I specialize in if you’re looking for help…set up a time here to talk about what’s possible.)
Start Writing - This is another daunting thing for many people, but it’s really easy to get started. Open a Google or Word doc and start typing. Or just start with a list of things that you know something about or have an opinion or idea. Substack (the platform you’re reading this on) makes it so simple to get up and running with a simple blog once you’re ready to share with the world. All you need to bring is an idea and the ability to type.
Craft Proposals for New Work - Why not be ready for January 2nd with a bunch or proposals for existing clients for some new work to kick off when everyone is back and full recharged? You rarely have time for this sort of thing when you’re doing your day-to-day, so put together some proposals now.
Work on a Side Project - Remember that big (or small) idea you’ve been thinking about for years? It’s time to take step one. It can be a money making thing or just a passion project, but you might not have a better time to get started than right now.
Team Building - While everyone is sitting around doing nothing, why not get the team together for something fun? It doesn’t need to be an elaborate holiday party. And it can be in person or virtual. Encourage your managers to get their teams together and do events at that level instead of trying to do a full company event.
Innovation Projects - These are typically everyone’s favorite thing to work on, but the thing you rarely have time to do. Well, here’s your encouragement to do it. Use the time to brainstorm by yourself or with a small team to come up with some innovative ideas. Bonus points for getting together an MVP or business plan.
Do that One Thing - You know the thing…that one thing at home or work that you keep pushing to the bottom of the list, but you know needs to eventually get done. It’s a burden to your mental energy, so use this time to finally cross it off the list.
Think - For most of the year, you have your actual job and all the tasks and meetings that come with it, which typically leaves you with very little time just to sit and think. You’ll be amazed what you come up with when you just think with no distractions, no Slack, no email, and no meetings.
Volunteer - Lots of organizations would love to have an extra set of hands this time of year. If you’ve never really volunteered for anything, this is a great time to start. I guarantee you’ll get out 100 times more than what you put in.
Learn a New Skill or Get a New Certification - There are lots of resources out there that are totally free on just about any topic or maybe you have some specific professional or industry ones that you’ve been putting off. Use the lull to put some time towards these activities that can help advance your career.
There you go…lots of ways you can make the end of the year a bit more productive and less frustrating each time you hear “Let’s pick this up in the New Year.” Add yours in the comments!
Before you go…
If you find your company stuck with lots of inefficient manual processes, there is a better way. My company Obvify connects the disconnected. We turn spreadsheets, databases, CRMs, and random software tools into custom, integrated web applications. The goal is to eliminate half the time, cost, and aggravation from your manual processes all while making your team more productive (and a bit happier). And if you ever need insights or assistance with business process automation or improvement, just give me a shout. Always happy to help. You can schedule a free initial call where I promise to give more free advice than selling things.
And if you just want to make a new connection, I’m happy to do that with any reader. Schedule a time here or just connect on LinkedIn.