4 Steps to Take More Time off this December

With Thanksgiving behind us here in the US, we’re full on into the holiday season and all the craziness that this last month of the year entails.  As your official Designer Sanity coach, I’m here today with you to help you take charge of this crazy month and have it work FOR you, instead of against you.  I want you to go into 2023 feeling sane and ready to start the new year feeling centered.  

I always used to feel guilty for taking time off, even over the holidays, and felt like I had to be busy working and always available in case my clients needed me.  More often than not, the joke was on me as my clients were happily taking time off and not giving me a second thought.  Over time, I realized no one was going to give me permission to take time off except myself.  There was no upside to me stressing out working too much over the holidays and then heading into January feeling exhausted.  

So, if you haven’t already planned some time off for yourself over the holidays, we’re going to do that today with these 4 Steps:  

STEP #1 LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

You heard me right - December  is not the time to be killing it professionally!  I'd like you to set your intention for how much LESS you want to work this month than usual.  Regardless of your unique situation, December is typically a month where there are a ton of extra commitments outside of work.  

What’s going on for you?  Do you have school-age kids and their endless associated events this time of year, not to mention their time off of school? Are you traveling?  Do you have relatives coming in from out of town?  

Don’t forget that each of these often take, not only time, but extra emotional bandwidth as well.  If you have a challenging family situation especially, please plan to give yourself grace and more time to rest and recover than you typically need.  If you live in the north, you could also have snow to deal with as well, slowing everything down.  

Staying sane this month is going to require a lot of extra white space in your calendar.  Don’t fill every minute.  Plan to cut down your weekly hours, perhaps working 1-2 fewer days each week if possible to give yourself extra time for your personal life.  

STEP #2 PROTECT YOUR TIME OFF

Once you’ve set your intention for personal time for this month, it’s time to mark it on your calendar.   Perhaps you’re taking a full week or two off work.  Mark it off.  Perhaps you want to block out Wednesday and Fridays this month to attend to your extra personal commitments, or just take time to REST and recover from your busy year.  

STEP #3 VANQUISH UNREALISTIC DEADLINES

Adjust your project plans around your updated schedule and calendar.   [Don't know how to make an effective project plan?  Click here to learn how The Design Roadmap Course can teach you how!] How are your deadlines lining up with the time you plan to take off?  Now is the time to adjust them. Push any deadlines that fall over the holiday to mid- January at least, and readjust your timelines accordingly.  Do yourself a favor and don’t plan to have any major deadlines due right after you return from vacation.  Give yourself grace and set your expectations for your productivity LOW for this busy time of year. 

 STEP #4 NIP LAST MINUTE DEMANDS IN THE BUD

Now that you have an idea of what you plan to get done over December, it’s time to check in with your clients and colleagues (GC’s etc).  Let them know when you will be in the office/available and when you’ll be taking time off in a matter-of-fact way.  Let them know what the upcoming design schedule is looking like.  Find out what their schedule is looking like for December, and align your expectations accordingly.   It’s normal and natural to take time off this month, so there’s no need to apologize.  Simply inform them of the upcoming schedule and when you will be available.  Clear and concise.  This is all to prevent any last-minute requests or panicked demands.

And there you have your 4-step plan to take more time off this December.

It’s so important to give yourself grace and carve out extra time for yourself during this busy time of year.   If you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed and ready to finally take control of your projects once and for all, you may want to click here to check out my Design Roadmap System. 

It is the system I created and use in my own business to take control of my projects and my time so I can take off all the time I want without getting behind on my projects.  It's how I decide FIRST what kind of work/life balance I want to have and THEN plan my projects around that.  It works like magic! 

So if you’re ready to feel calm and at ease about your workload and like you can take off as much time as you like without getting behind, CLICK HERE check out the Design Roadmap Course.