Christmas is coming… isn’t that great? Unfortunately, this is a sentence you rarely hear creative professionals say. Because while we all love a holiday, the final weeks of the year can feel like a high-wire balancing act. As deadlines loom, client requests pile up, and managing your workload becomes a massive pain.
Just when you’re supposed to be chilling out and having fun, this pressure can be overwhelming. At the same time, you’re being invited to multiple parties, which would be fantastic at any other time of year. But right now, you just can’t properly enjoy them with all that work looming over you.
But what if you could approach the end of the year in a calm and collected way? To help you achieve that, we’ve drawn up a blueprint for navigating the professional wind-down with grace and intentionality.
Drawing from the insights of seasoned creatives who’ve mastered the art of year-end workflow management, we’ll share practical strategies to help you smoothly transition from work mode to festive relaxation.
1. Ruthless prioritisation is your best friend
Let’s face it: sometimes, getting everything done before Christmas Eve is impossible. So what should you do?
In a hospital’s casualty wing, patients don’t get seen in turn, but depending on how serious and life-threatening their injuries are. And while this might seem like a strange metaphor, triaging your workload in the same way can be very effective.
Writer Ryan Melsom describes this as: “Ruthless prioritisation of the must-dos, setting realistic expectations on the nice-to-dos, being okay with the did-not-dos, and recognising they can look way easier after a good break.”
To achieve this in practice, simply:
- Create a comprehensive list of ongoing projects
- Categorise tasks as Absolutely essential (must complete before holidays) / Can be postponed to January / Non-critical tasks that can be deprioritised
2. Set crystal-clear client expectations
Even if you’ve completed all your work, that doesn’t always mean a stress-free holiday period. So communication is key to ensuring you won’t be bothered by anyone.
Erik Herrström, founder and director at Studio Herrström, offers a good example to follow. “We’re being ultra-clear to clients about which dates the office will be closed,” he explains. “Then there is plenty of time to plan around. For internal projects, we try to be realistic and prioritise what can be completed before we close down versus what needs to wait until next year.”
Branding designer Sophie O’Connor adds: “Never take on any big projects in December, push them back to January. Be super clear on your finishing day. I usually use my kids’ last day at school as a way to ensure I finish on time.”
Here are some more practical strategies to follow.
- Send a detailed holiday availability email to all clients
- Update your email signature with out-of-office dates
- Establish a clear cut-off date for new project inquiries
- Set an automatic email responder explaining your holiday schedule
3. » …