⛈ Managing The December Deluge 🌈

 

 

 

 

 

The end of the year is stressful enough without the extra pressure of last-minute requests due before New Year’s Eve. But fear not! With a dash of humor and a sprinkle of time management savvy, you can conquer the year-end chaos.

Here are four strategies to help you dodge the crunch and make it to the holiday cookies unscathed—plus bonus links with expert tips so you can execute each step like a pro: With these strategies and resources, you’ll breeze through year-end requests and keep the holiday spirit alive!

 

1.    Channel Your Inner Psychic—Be Proactive! If you feel a mysterious disturbance in the force (a.k.a. the annual pile-up of requests), don’t wait for the inevitable email titled “URGENT.” Instead, surprise your leaders by asking, “Hey, what year-end magic do you need from me?” It’s like predicting the weather, but with fewer umbrellas and more spreadsheets. Start these conversations early—your future self will thank you!

 

2.   Don’t Be Shy—Clarify, Clarify, Clarify! If someone tosses a last-minute task at you, unleash your inner detective. Ask follow-up questions like, “Could you walk me through why this needs to happen before we all turn into pumpkins at midnight?” The more you understand, the better you can tackle the request—and maybe even make your colleagues giggle along the way. Remember, confusion is the enemy of productivity (and good moods).

 Click here to read a related post: 9 Tips for Clear, Concise, and Compelling Communication

3.    Rework That To-Do List Like a Boss. It’s time to give your commitments a makeover! End-of-year madness means it’s perfectly acceptable to reshuffle meetings and deadlines. Picture yourself as a juggler—drop a few balls if you must, just don’t let your own sanity hit the floor. Communicate with your team, prioritize ruthlessly, and don’t be afraid to say, “Let’s bump this to January when our brains are refreshed and our coffee cups are full.”

Click here for a related post: How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Important

Click here for a related post: How to Say 'No" When You Don't Feel You Can Say 'No'

4.   PTO: Protect The Oasis Your vacation days are sacred. Guard them like a squirrel with the last acorn of the season! Tell your colleagues about your plans early and often, and stick to them like glitter at a New Year’s party. Taking time off isn’t just good for you—it reminds everyone else to recharge, too.

Click here for a related post: 7 Ways to Achieve a Work/Life Balance

Remember, laughter is the best stress-buster. Tackle those end-of-year requests with optimism, a sense of humor, and a determination to protect your peace. No change, no change… so be the change that gets you to January with a smile!

To your greater impact and well-being, 

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

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contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile: 323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, third-party maintenance providers, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

 

Reflections on 52-Year BEHS High School “Friendships”

  

You know, after a half-century, you’d think we’d all be experts at this friendship thing—like there should be a lifetime achievement award just for remembering everyone’s nickname and not accidentally calling someone by their dog’s name from 1973. Yet here we are, squinting at Facebook profile pictures and wondering, “Did they always have that much hair in high school, or is that just a very optimistic filter?

The Difference Between Knowing Someone and Being a True Friend

So, it’s been over fifty years since graduation, and a lot of us are still in touch through social media and the occasional gatherings. It makes you wonder—does simply knowing someone for decades make you real friends, or does friendship take more than just time?

Nostalgia can be a gentle liar; it wraps our memories in golden light and assures us that familiarity is synonymous with friendship. When we meet at reunions, infrequent meet ups or exchange the occasional holiday card, it is easy to marvel at how quickly the years seem to melt away—how swiftly an old joke or a remembered anecdote can revive the echo of laughter from days gone by.

Check out a related post: Waxing Nostalgic for Old High School Relationships Is Like Eating Cotton Candy 

Yet, upon honest reflection, it becomes clear that time alone does not guarantee a viable friendship. We may know each other’s nicknames, remember whose locker squeaked in the hallway, and recall the lyrics to the boss songs that played at our senior prom. But do we know who we have become? More importantly, have we made an effort to find out?

Real friendship changes and grows as life moves on. The people who stay close are the ones you keep having experiences with, the ones you talk to and support through all of life’s ups and downs. Just knowing each other for a long time isn’t enough—you have to put in the work and actually be there.

If you don’t reach out every so often or stay engaged, even the oldest friendships can fade. Those shared memories are a strong foundation, but without new conversations or checking in, the bond can start to drift. Little things, like texting when nothing special is happening or opening up about what’s really going on in your life, keep the connection alive. And, since people change over time, friendships might need to adjust too.

When you don’t put in the effort, those old friendships might not disappear overnight, but they can slowly become more distant. Still, it’s never too late to reconnect—sometimes, just reaching out can bring things back, even if the friendship looks a little different.

For a friendship to really work, both people have to care and put in the time. It’s about respect, empathy, and showing up. Think of it like tending a garden: if you give it attention, it grows and stays healthy.

Having friends you’ve known for years is rare, but the real value comes from what you do now and in the future. You can always choose to stay close or let things change, depending on what feels right for both of you.

Bottom line, friendships don’t just last on their own—you’ve got to make an effort. Just knowing someone isn’t the same as being a real friend. If you want to keep those meaningful connections, reaching out and staying involved is key. 

And if all else fails, you can always remind your old friends that you still remember what their hair looked like in the 70s—now that’s a bond no amount of time (or questionable fashion choices) can break!😏

Cheers,

Peter (Pete) Mclees