By Justin Shults
As 2019 starts, many are looking forward to a happy New Year. And true, many people are looking forward to having a summer of fun and relaxation. Sadly for many of us, we’re also already starting to look forward to the beginning of a new year.
Welcome to the grind! It’s inevitable that while we’re counting down the last few days to New Year’s, we’ll be back at work starting Jan. 1. Often times, there is a great deal of confusion and frustration as you try to find out what tasks you’ll need to be doing to get your work done in the year ahead.
While most of us could rest easy in the knowledge that the majority of our work responsibilities will be set aside during the holidays, things are often a little different in the office. It can often be found that during the holiday season, you have more time to focus on non-work related activities such as parties and social activities. That means that if you’re away at your holiday party, you have less time to reflect on your year and get up to speed on what needs to be accomplished in the upcoming year.
When you return to the office on New Year’s Day, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that even though your workload may be lighter during the holiday, you do have to start getting started right away.
The first order of business is to evaluate how much time is left in 2018. If you worked all year last year and you finished in January, you have a few extra months that you won’t need to work. That could mean that you can take a few days off over the winter holidays and rest before preparing for the new year.
Alternatively, you may find yourself with a couple of weeks left in 2018 and you would like to jump right into the beginning of 2019. That means a few extra pay days in January.
There are many factors that can affect how much time you need to complete your tasks. Businesses can be slow during the winter months, when sales aren’t as robust. Also, many organizations allow employees to take vacations over the winter months and many businesses have designated vacation time off.
Some companies take longer than others, but this means that you may not be able to relax for a few weeks until your work is done.
Still, with that said, don’t feel pressured to get started in January. At the same time, don’t rush into the work that needs to be done. Use your leisure time to apply for a new job that you really want, and decide that you’re going to turn up the pace in your business!
Jacee Newell is the National Sales Manager at Treadwell Business Systems. He is a certified Sales Professional, and was previously a Regional Sales Manager for 16 years in the healthcare and finance industries. Jacee was a guest on the national radio show “Success Through Success” today.