Calendar Countdown

As I write this there’s exactly one month until Christmas Day. Less than that by the time you’re reading.

Five weeks until the new year begins.

What do you need to accomplish to finish the year well?

Last week I sat with the team at Christians Against Poverty and we listed all the projects, events, and tasks remaining in their plans for 2022. And we counted how many work days there are before the calendar turns.

It was fewer than you may think.

It was a sobering reality check. And one I recommend for every leader and leadership team.

You might be surprised how little time you really have to get everything done. Which means you may need to make some adjustments:

-Figure out what is true essential to be complete before the somewhat arbitrary deadline of January 1st. Priorities are the key to confidence.

-Consider what can be delayed and set new, realistic, deadlines. You may be hard pressed to finish even the have-to’s, and need to reschedule the want-to’s.

-Decide whether there are things that can be done to a lower standard given the time and capacity available. Sometimes a B- that’s done is far better than an incomplete A+. Excellence can be a trap if it gets in the way of things that matter more.

-Factor in the reality that people are likely to miss an extra day or two over these final weeks of the year. Flu season, school breaks, ongoing pandemic, and various holiday events mean even the time people plan for work may not happen or be fully productive. Expect at least a 10% below optimal output.

Taking an hour to interrupt the busyness of rushing to the year end to realistically re-prioritize will give you the best chance of enjoying the season, finishing with confidence, and having some energy to begin a new year optimistically.

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