Once the holidays come around it seems schedules and staying on task fly right outside the window. Not only do you have your regular business tasks which may increase due to the holiday season, but family is often off work and out of school. And then of course there are the holiday festivities, which means preparation time. Is balance possible, or do you just throw up your arms and give into chaos? Don’t give up! Here’s how to balance your work schedule during the holidays.

Set realistic goals

No matter how you might like it to be otherwise, there are only 24 hours in a day, and it may seem like there are actually much less. While a standard week’s goals might be to implement a marketing strategy, hire a contractor, and bill 20 hours of work, during the holidays you’re going to want to cut back and focus on the essential tasks, the tasks that make money. And your goals may need to be reduced. If you normally bill 20 hours of coaching, for example, then you may need to cut back during the holidays and bill only 10 or 15.

Alter your schedule

With family in town, or if you’re traveling out of town and have holiday outings to tend to, it’s likely that your schedule is going to have to change. If for example, you normally work from 9-1 during the day, then you may want to shift your hours to when family members are asleep or are less active.

Automate and seek outside help

While the holidays isn’t a great time to try a new contractor, it is a great time to hand off some work to someone you’re familiar with. Hiring a new employee during the holidays only makes it harder on you and they may not be as available as you’d like. And remember how wonderful technology is.

You can schedule your blog posts and email marketing in advance. And you can use a voicemail and an email autoresponder to let customers and prospects know you’ll get back to them. This means you won’t miss potential business and you can enjoy family time without having to be chained to the phone.

Balancing your work schedule during the holidays can be difficult. However, it is possible with a little planning and dedication. You’ll want to cut back, focus on specific and attainable goals, goals that are directly related to your bottom line. You may also need to adjust your schedule and of course take advantage of technology and your contractors – they’re there to help! Lighten your load as much as possible and enjoy the holiday season. You deserve it!