Managing the December Deadline Deluge

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The end of the year is stressful enough without the extra pressure oflast-minute requests due before New Year’s Eve. Here are four strategies to help you mitigate the crunch.
 
Be proactive if you suspect a request is coming your way. If you’ve noticed a pattern of year-end requests piling up in previous years, it’s time to take a proactive approach. Initiate conversations with your leaders about their needs.
 
Clarify what you’re being asked to do. When you get a last-minute request, don’t hesitate to ask follow-up questions to better understand the problem your colleagues want you to solve—and their reasons why it needs to be done now.
 
Reprioritize your commitments. While you don’t want to build a habit of canceling or rescheduling meetings or due dates, the end-of-year rush can justify an honest reorganization of your to-do list.
 
Commit to your PTO. To avoid giving up your well-deserved vacation days (and your overall well-being), confidently communicate your plans with your colleagues in advance.

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