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When late December approaches, I harken back to the days when I was a kid and my pent-up energy for the holiday break. No classes, no homework, no rules…okay, some rules, but a palpable sense that the time off would lead to fun, food, and festivities of all sorts.
Fast forward to present day and much of that excitement has been replaced by pure exhaustion. The weight of accumulated tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities is exacerbated by a mad rush to finalize projects, submit deliverables, and close out the year’s books, all while somehow embracing the joy of the season with friends and family. With this mix of excitement and stress, it’s important to acknowledge the impact of year-end burnout on our collective wellbeing.
While the work still needs to get done, it’s important to take some time to focus on your mental and physical health. No one wants to start the new year pre-exhausted, so I wanted to share a few suggestions to get us through this hectic time:
- Step Away: Take breaks, sleep and engage in activities that bring you even the smallest amount of joy. Boundaries will be broken if not set, and only you can draw those borders in sharp relief. To be honest, this is something I truly struggle with (hence my youthful glow), so I’m reminding myself as much as you.
- Set Realistic Goals: Break down tasks into manageable steps and set realistic internal and external expectations. While year-end tends to drive big deadlines, it’s important to be honest about what can and cannot be done. Prioritize your truly immovable dates and let everything else push until January or beyond.
- Overcommunicate: Because everyone has their hair on fire, they may miss the more subtle signals you are sending. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, raise your hand to ask your peers and superiors for help. No one can and should go it alone.
- Celebrate: For some of us, the last thing we want to do is cheer this time of year, but it’s still important to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate your people and the successes, both big and small, that have been achieved. A well-placed GIF or emoji can trigger the laugh we all need, and reflecting on positive moments can help shift your mindset and build momentum for next year.
As we navigate the final weeks of the year, please support one other and prioritize your well-being. Remember that health and happiness are essential components of your team’s collective success. And maybe – just maybe – we can stay awake long enough to usher in the New Year.
Wishing you a restful and rejuvenating holiday season,
— Mark Stelzner
Founder/Managing Principal/Cobbler’s Child, IA
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Where you can find us
The new year is just around the corner, and we are gearing up for some excellent events. We are excited to participate in the following:
- April 24-26, 2024: Get ready to ignite positive change in your organization with innovative and transformative ways to positively influence your people strategies that go beyond best practices at the new Human Resource Executive® Conference: Elevate People, Ignite Change 2024 or EPIC 2024! Visit the web site to learn more about this new conference and to register today!
- May 14-16, 2024: ERE.net is gearing up for their next Recruiting Conference, and Mary Faulkner will be moderating a panel of experts! Be sure to sign up to learn more about the event.
On Our Radar
Our internet scrolling has been on overdrive lately, and there has been an embarrassment of riches for content, particularly in the field of AI. Here are a couple that stood out:
While coverage of AI typically focuses on corporate business, we can’t forget the potential impact on journalism. This is readily apparent in this story about Sports Illustrated creating entire AI-generated writer personas and trying to pass them off as real people. It definitely highlights the importance of transparency in AI use.
And from the strange but true file…Someone decided to run the Turing Test on an early AI-program, and we learned maybe a little more about people than we expected. Because the AI model was so bad, people inaccurately assumed it had to be a human being. But even more remarkable was that a human being was only successfully identified 63% of the time. Maybe we need to get off our computers occasionally!
About IA
As trusted advisors to senior leaders, IA supports strategic initiatives that transform the way organizations work.
Our seasoned team of professionals apply a revolutionary eye, deep domain experience, and flexible tools to accelerate the achievement of even the most ambitious goals. With a cross-functional, strategic perspective, we thrive on big, messy problems. Whether large or small, public or private, domestic or international, it’s our job to support leaders and their teams in achieving outcomes that are truly unique to their culture and objectives.
Every organization has a catalyst for change – learn more at ia-hr.com.
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