6 Ways to Put Your Holiday to Work for Your Career

For many of us the holidays offer an opportunity to take time away from the office to enjoy time with family. We might look at the holidays as a way to think about anything but work.

However, it can also be a great time to consider the new year and prepare to get off to a strong start.

Here are six ways to do just that:

Clean out email. Achieving in-box zero is a lofty goal for many and perhaps one you’ve failed to realize. Take an hour or two, if your email habits warrant it, and clear out as many old emails as possible. You’ll experience less stress and anxiety when you return to the office with a more stream-lined in-box.

Update your wardrobe. If you receive some cash or a gift card or two for a holiday gift, and even if you don’t, pick up an item or two to spruce up your style at work. Improving your appearance at work can instill greater confidence and increase your prospects for that promotion in the new year.

Update your resume. This is a great time of the year to update your resume (and LinkedIn profile) with your work highlights from the past year. Do this while these are still fresh in your mind. You might also rethink and reconsider your career plans and objectives.

Reach out to key contacts. The holidays are always a great time to connect with family and friends and it can also make sense to reach out to some of the important connections in your network with a Christmas card or even a brief email or Facebook message to extend wishes for a happy holiday and happy new year. 

Resolve to make changes. If you’ve taken some time for self-reflection regarding your career, you’ve likely identified some areas you can make improvements or some habits or practices that are holding you back in your career. Resolve to sign up for Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, or take that coding class, or new manager training you need to become more effective.

Rest and relaxation. Despite everything mentioned above, do not spend too much time over the holidays focused on your career. Use the time to get away from the daily emails and phone calls. Turn off that mobile and unplug for a few days while you enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Three Tips For Staying Focused And Productive When You're Feeling Overwhelmed

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• Three Tips For Staying Focused And Productive When You're Feeling Overwhelmed: "The second tip I’ve developed is to honestly prioritize your goals and acknowledge the things that can cause you to become distracted."

• 4 Tips to Detach from Your Phone: "Ban phones from the dinner table or family gatherings. Research shows having a phone on the table distracts people—even if it’s not theirs."

• 12 Ways to Automate Your Business and Boost Efficiency: "Having a team that takes ownership of your business is paramount. Set clear policies and procedures, and encourage their input."

• 9 Strategies to Finally Get Your Email Under Control: "Draw clearer boundaries by scheduling email into your day with defined start and stop times. Again, you can only reply to so many emails within a particular session, so you naturally limit the number of replies that are going to hit you later."
• 7 Simple Ways to Avoid Distraction at Work and Home: "At the start of each day at work, my first task is to write down the top three things that need to be completed that day. Three tasks might not sound like a lot, but with the typical number of meetings, emails and work “emergencies” I have every day it can be quite challenging."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: The 5 Rules of Email You Need to Know

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below from Inc. learn five guidelines for getting a better response to your emails.

5 Tips to Communicate Effectively By Email

If you’re like many of us your email inbox is overloaded with messages you’ve been planning to respond to for days (or maybe weeks?) and sometimes it feels like our lives are run by email or text.

There are definitely some benefits to email (its speed and the ability to communicate with a group, for example) but unless we understand how to email effectively we’re just contributing to an overload of unnecessary communication crowding our inbox.

Here are several tips for communicating more effectively by email.

Write a clear subject line. Ensure that the person you’re communicating with can understand the purpose of your message by looking at the email subject line. It also helps you to organize and archive your emails more effectively. Instead of using “hey” as your subject consider something more specific like “Question about Project XYZ” or “Status of budget on Project ABC”.

To avoid miscommunication write in complete sentences. It’s difficult enough to communicate clearly and effectively in complete sentences but it’s made even more difficult when we write in half sentences with questionable grammar, or utilize slang or emojis. Keep your communication clear and brief and not only will you communicate more effectively with your colleagues, but you’ll likely also have a leaner inbox.  

Only include those who need to see the email. Too often we resort to cc:ing too many people in emails, resulting in frustration for those who don’t really need to see a string of fifty messages on a subject they have no direct involvement with. Limit your emails to those who need to know.

Tag important emails when needed. If your email is important use a tag to indicate its high priority and in your message be sure to let the reader know of the significance of your request or information. Another option is to make a note in the subject line that you require a response. Your subject line might read: “Status update needed for Project XYZ; response needed within 24 hours”.

Handle more complicated discussions in person or by phone. Of course, when necessary and possible, stop by your colleague’s desk or give them a call. It can be frustrating to get an email asking a simple question from the colleague sitting in the cubicle next to you. For more detailed discussions email is not effective. Set up a face-to-face meeting or a conference call, and then follow-up with the key points in an email to ensure clarity on key points.

Finally, take initiative and only email when necessary. In some situations you simply need to act and sometimes we email others out of uncertainty about our level of authority or knowledge on a project. Limit your emails and learn to communicate more clearly and effectively and you’ll make your work life more efficient, while also improving your work environment for your colleagues.

5 Ways to Prevent and Overcome Stress and Burnout

Stress in your life and on the job can lead to significant job dissatisfaction and burnout, and can ultimately impact your career in harmful ways.

It's important to develop strategies for dealing with stress that enable us to face it in healthy and constructive ways. Consider the following.

Get and stay organized. When everything around us is disorganized and out of control it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Use technology and apps to your advantage to keep your emails and files organized and easily accessible. Keep a clean desk or work area. Make a plan to take on your most difficult or dreaded task first on order to prevent procrastination. Knocking off a major task early in your day will inspire confidence and help reduce stress.

Work around interruptions. Schedule your interruptions when possible by setting specific times to answer emails and respond to phone calls. Also attempt to schedule meetings during times that are convenient to your work load and also at a time during the day when your energy level is high. Meetings, especially unproductive or disorganized meetings, can certainly be an energy drain.

Breathe and meditate. Even before you are feeling stressed out develop a practice of breathing slowly and mindfully in order to refocus your attention and energy. Start a daily habit of meditation and you'll be better equipped to handle stress and anxiety when it arrives.

Watch what you eat and drink. Too much caffeine can cause you to feel jittery or anxious so if you're dealing with stress it's best to reduce or eliminate coffee or soda. In addition, alcohol can have a negative impact on your emotions and stress levels. Focus on food that energizes you and provides strength and focus. Drink a lot of water and be sure to get 7-8 hours of sleep.

Build your support system. Be sure to surround yourself with positive and encouraging co-workers and colleagues. We can't always choose who we work with but we can choose who to have lunch with, talk to over a quick break, or socialize with outside of work. These colleagues can provide great support during times of stress and burnout. In addition, don't neglect to discuss the situation with your supervisor. A good manager desires to support his or her team and can often identify changes in a process or work situation that can mitigate some of the stress, so it's beneficial to do your best to cultivate a positive relationship with your supervisor.

Focusing on these five basics will place you in a good position to deal with job stress and prevent burnout from overtaking you.