In the same way that busy Estate Agents wish there were 36 hours in a day, they wish that there were 13 months in the year. There is always so much to do at year end – servicing the socks off current clients, attracting new clients, making sure that time-critical routine work is completed, and finding the time to plan and set up to thrive in the New Year.
Without a good plan, as a hard-working Estate Agent, you may find yourself both succumbing to year-end fatigue and dreading the holidays. However, with some sensible planning and help from your team, there are ways to combat the year end crunch.
Here are our top 10 productivity hacks to have a productive and successful end-of-year before taking a few well-earned days off:
- Prioritise your tasks
There will be many tasks you would like to complete before you close shop for the year-end holiday. It’s important to make sure you know which tasks are the most important. Ask yourself these five questions:
- What’s the risk or impact of delaying this task?
- What would happen if this task wasn’t done?
- How many hours does this task entail?
- What other tasks will fall by the wayside if you prioritise this task?
- Who else could do this task for you?
- Make lists
Once you are clear as to what is most important, make a list of what you need to achieve and put your tasks in order of priority. This will ensure you get all the important tasks done first. Make your list more effective by adding a deadline for each task, so that you don’t only know what to do but also when it must be completed.
- Time-block your schedule
Assign specific time periods for each task or group of tasks. Some tasks will take longer than you planned for, so build in some buffer time for tasks that overrun their deadline. It has been proven to be productive to work in one-hour blocks and to take short breaks between each. Stick to working on the task assigned to each block. If you don’t finish a task, move on and move the remainder of the task a future time block.
- Say “no”
There are always an overabundance of tempting and not-such-fun invitations to field in the festive season. If a request or opportunity doesn’t align with your goals to end the year strong, give yourself permission to say “no” without feeling guilty. This will protect your time and energy, so you can prioritise what matters most.
- Change up your routine
You may typically start you day getting to grips with important emails and getting back to clients – and before you know it the morning has run away with you. For the final two working weeks of the year, use the time blocks in your diary to change that. Start your working day by tackling the tasks that need you to be fresh and focused. The outcome is that you will have made progress on completing an important task without being distracted.
- Take regular breaks
It is not only important to manage your time, it is crucial to manage your energy. When setting up time blocks in your diary, Include time for personal errands and breaks. It may seem counter-intuitive, but this helps clear thinking and productivity. Breaks can help you maintain consistent productivity throughout the day and reduce the risk of physical and mental exhaustion.
- Declutter
When your office or home is filled with clutter, trying to tackle a demanding workload can be quite overwhelming. Sorting out your space before year-end may seem to be a low-level priority compared to other mission critical tasks on your to-do list. However, making small wins each day can make a remarkable difference to your energy and productivity. We recommend spending 10 minutes a day sorting and making inroads into the clutter.
- Start making goals for the New Year
Working through your priority tasks and sorting through clutter is an excellent vantage point from which to begin formulating your goals for 2025. Start listing your goals for next year as you work. When you return to work in the New Year refreshed. Having had space and time to think, you can review and refine your goals with the foundation already in place.
- Schedule downtime
Don’t be tempted to work late into the night to get more done. Set yourself a goal to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. This way you will wake up energised and ready to start each day. It is equally important to schedule personal downtime. Downtime is when you’re not actively engaged in work-related tasks. This could mean keeping up your exercise regimen, practicing your favourite hobby, reading a book – or taking yourself out for a good coffee.
- Delegate to your Virtual Assistant
Just because you are busy completing priority tasks that will impact on business success in the New Year, does not mean that routine daily tasks should fall by the wayside. To make matters worse, the year-end holiday cuts December and January short, so that a month’s worth of work must be squeezed into 3 weeks. Having a Virtual Assistant who protects you from distractions and keeps day-to-day work up to date makes all the difference to ending the year strong. In fact, there may be priority tasks that you realise your VA will do better and faster than you. Don’t hesitate to hand over these tasks to your VA.
Once you have done what you can before the festive break it is important to give yourself quality time out. If you’re facing several days off with nothing much planned, it could be tempting to do some ‘quick’ work. Rather give yourself something to look forward to. Plan the time to relax, do fun things, spend time with people you love, and explore the world around you. There should be no guilt in putting your laptop and work phone away while you rest and recharge.
