If you're like me (and I know I am), you did a whole lot of nothing during the holiday season. It was a tremendous stretch of family, friends and ... letting your work just sit there. Life was great, until Monday when you returned to that world of documents and projects that you had been ignoring, causing a severe case of anxiety. Here are a five-and-a-half things that you can do to get stuff done and prevent ringing in the new work year with a panic attack:
1. You can't do it all at once, so don't think that you can. That work backup is probably bigger than one day of work, so be realistic and chip away. Many people won't have another holiday off until Memorial Day, which is sort of a depressing fact, but it also means we have a lot of days in the office that we can focus.
2. Do something! After you've prioritized your list, don't flinch. I had an acting teacher who said so often he saw people freeze because they had so much to do. His remedy? Simply do something. Clean your inbox, organize your desk or vacuum up the glitter that spilled all over the floor from obnoxious sparkly holiday cards -- just do something!
3. Use "Uncle Mo." There is no better tool for completing a project that your good old Uncle Mo: Mo-mentum. Start with something small that you can accomplish and begin your personal winning streak to get your pile of work to disappear.
4. Just WIN, baby (WIN = What's Important Now). I usually don't acronym life's problems, but in this case, it applies. After you've done your first small "Uncle Mo" item to get yourself started, make a list and prioritize everything you have to do. This allows you to tackle the most timely and important issues first.
5. Imagine the end. You feel overwhelmed now, but how will it feel when it's all done? Probably pretty ding-dang good. Keep the end goal in mind as a motivation to navigate through the mountain of work in front of you.
And five-and-a-half: Celebrate the victories. If you get something done, treat yourself to a happy hour or a sweet treat, depending on the time of day. I know you've probably just finished celebrating the holidays, but be sure you find some time to celebrate your accomplishments as you cross them off the list.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year! Make your new year's resolution to follow me on Twitter.