Navigating the Holiday Season, Personally and Professionally

The holidays can be a very busy time of year, both at home and at work. You may feel like you’re being pulled in multiple directions, so finding balance is important to stay motivated during this time of year! Learn how to prepare for and find stability during this busy time of year with the following tips.

Find Motivation By Balancing Personal and Professional Goals

Staying on top of your goals during the holiday season can help you feel grounded and find balance in your life.

If you are in the middle of a job search, remember that the end of the year can cause some slow downs in hiring. Managers and recruiters may be on vacation and offices often close for the holidays. Plus, companies often prioritize ending the year strongly over hiring. So don’t lose motivation if you aren’t getting call backs or you are seeing a slow down in interviews being scheduled. Instead, redirect your focus and energy on reviewing your resume, writing cover letters, preparing for interviews, and applying for more jobs.

If you are currently employed and not in the middle of a job search, remember to maintain balance between your personal life and work life by taking time off around the holidays if you can. If your company is throwing a holiday party, use this time to network, connect, and socialize with colleagues. If you typically work remotely, this time together is especially important to make meaningful connections and build team synergy.

And don’t forget about your personal goals during the holiday season! This is a great time to reflect on the past year, everything you’ve accomplished, and create new goals for 2023.

Make Your Goals a Priority

While there may be a lot of different events and travel during this time of year, it is important to make your goals a priority in order to end the year strong. We even have a few tips to help make sure you are keeping your goals a priority and at the top of your list!

• Create a set of goals for yourself and begin to put them into action now. While you may be tempted to start acting on your goals after the new year, you want to be prepared, motivated, and have momentum as soon as the new year starts.
• Check out our training catalog where you can save your favorite careers, do research, and come back to them at a time that is best for you if you are thinking about changing careers next year!
• Attend a SkillUp group coaching session. This session will help you both network and meet people in similar scenarios as you, as well as help you to create connections that will help you stay accountable.
• Share your goals with someone! You can share your professional goals with your manager or colleagues, and your personal goals with your family and friends. Sharing your goals with others can also help you stay accountable and create action toward meeting your goals.

Network During Holiday Parties You can use both professional and personal holiday parties as opportunities to network! If you are looking to change careers, or are in the process of applying for jobs, use holiday parties to practice your interpersonal communication skills. If you are looking for more growth in your current role, holiday parties are a great, casual way to find out what action steps you need to take to create opportunities for yourself. You never know who you may meet, what pieces of advice or wisdom they can give you, or how they can support you in meeting your goals!

Learn more about SkillUp and our training catalog here.