How to stay focused during the holidays

Last updated on April 26th, 2013How to, Time management0 comments

As I mentioned in a previous blog post “Take a Break from Your Business: Take a Holiday on Us!“, it’s important to take time out from your work, especially if you’re running a business on your own. But many of us are unable to avoid work completely even during the summer months. There’s still client work to be completed and business activities to be planned. So yes you do need to have some downtime especially when the weather is warm and sunny, but it’s also important not to get distracted when you need to focus on the important stuff.

Here are some tips on how to stay focused during the holidays:

Have clear working hours: Setting clear working hours will help to keep you focused on getting your work done and will remind your friends, family and clients when you are free to be contacted.

Plan your schedule. Ensure that you have a schedule for the week , which contains a list of your important tasks that need to be done. Break that down into tasks for each day and focus on completing those tasks. Just think, if you do get them done in good time then you can finish work early and enjoy the sun!

Reduce your hours: You can still take time off from your business even if you can’t go away completely. Do this by reducing your working hours, especially if you find that your workload slows down over the holiday period. Again, make sure that you inform your clients so that they know when they can contact you. By doing this, you will still be able to enjoy some fun time with friends and family.

Turn off emails and phone: Two of the biggest distractions are often email messages and phone calls. So if you really want to focus then switch off your phone and any email alerts. In fact, it might be a good idea to turn off the internet completely! You can then concentrate on getting your work done and not get distracted by personal calls and invitations to come out and play.

Outsource or delegate: I’ve mentioned the importance of outsourcing in other blog posts, but if you seriously want to take time out from your business then you’ve got to bring in someone to help you. It doesn’t mean that you have to hire an employee, you can easily outsource work to someone like a a virtual assistant who works from their own home and can handle any enquiries while you’re away. If you’re doing everything yourself then you will be tied to your business all the time and this isn’t good for you either mentally or physically.

So the holiday period needn’t be all work and no play. With a bit of organisation and focus, you can ensure that your business is running smoothly while being able to enjoy some downtime with family and friends.
 
If you’re feeling that you’re not working as effectively as you would like and want to become more focused in your business then click on the arrow button to find out more about our virtual assistant services and how they can help you save time and money in your business.
 

Valerie Eaton

Valerie Eaton provides virtual PA and online marketing services to self-employed professionals who are feeling overwhelmed by their workload and want more time to focus on growing their business.

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