As the year draws to a close, many of us find ourselves in a race against time to complete projects and meet our 2024 objectives. Whether you're working on personal goals or corporate targets, I’m sharing five strategies to help you focus and maximize your productivity as we race to the new year.
Conduct a year-end review
Start with a careful overview. Before taking action, step back to assess your progress. Check on goals that you have yet to complete. See if there are steps you can take to knock them out in the next few weeks. This is particularly important in a corporate setting – often raises, bonuses and performance reviews depend on achieving your goals.
Review objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) set earlier this year
Identify which goals are most critical to achieve by year-end
Prioritize tasks that have the biggest impact on your overall success
Action step: Create a prioritized list of tasks, ranking them based on impact, importance, and urgency.
Start your day with POWER FOCUS
Dedicate the first 25 minutes of your workday to tackling your most important task without any distractions. I’ve recently purchased a Pomodoro timer*. If you aren’t familiar with using the Pomodoro method – take a moment and look it up. Worth it.
Turn off notifications and close unnecessary applications
Focus solely on your top priority for 25 uninterrupted minutes
Use this technique to make significant progress on critical year-end projects
If you can’t finish in 25 minutes – take a 5-minute break and repeat
Action step: Schedule POWER FOCUS time in your calendar and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment.
Leverage the Two-Minute Rule
For small tasks that can be completed quickly, follow the Two-Minute Rule popularized by productivity expert David Allen.
If a task takes less than two minutes to complete, do it immediately
This prevents small tasks from piling up and becoming overwhelming
Apply this to both personal and professional tasks to maintain momentum
Action step: Keep a running list of quick tasks and tackle them during short breaks or between larger projects.
Set up a year-end sprint
In a corporate environment, mobilize your team for a final push towards annual goals. If it’s just you – skip the meeting, do the rest! Hold yourself accountable by connecting with a partner and asking to reciprocate – you can check in regularly, share plans and deadlines, then celebrate as things get done.
Organize a team meeting to align year-end priorities
Break larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks
Assign clear responsibilities and deadlines for each team member
Implement daily or weekly check-ins to track progress and address obstacles
Action step: Create a shared project board or spreadsheet to visualize team progress and foster accountability.
Practice saying "no"
To focus on year-end priorities, it's crucial to protect your time and energy.
Evaluate new requests against your prioritized list of goals
Decline or push delivery for all tasks that don't include year-end objectives
Communicate clearly with team leaders about your focus to close the year strong
Action step: Write a short, polite response to help you decline requests that crop up. This will help you respond quickly & share your intentions.
By implementing these strategies, you'll be ready to focus your efforts, maximize productivity, and achieve the most important goals before the year comes to a close. Remember, the key is to stay focused, prioritize effectively, and maintain a steady pace toward your objectives.
*If you decide to purchase items I share through any links I have included, I may receive a small commission. All items I include are things I own and have used, they work, I promise!
