The fourth quarter of 2013 is fast approaching, so now is a good time to start preparing for the end of the year. Doing so will help you avoid the hassle of rushing to get things done during the holiday season. Whether you work as an executive assistant or a file clerk, do these things now to reduce your stress level during the fourth quarter.
If you are in charge of planning your company’s annual holiday party, now is the time to book the venue, plan the menu, and take care of all the little tasks that go into planning a successful event. If you wait until it gets closer to the holiday season, you might not be able to get the venue or caterer you want. Book the entertainment and create the guest list now so you have less to do once the holiday season begins. If you are the head of an event-planning committee, make sure everyone knows what is expected of them as you head into this busy time of year.
You may not want to think about your end-of-year performance review just yet, but now is the perfect time to do so. Once the holiday season hits, you may be too busy to prepare for the review session. Taking the time to prepare for your review can help you get a raise or a promotion, so this is not something to take lightly. Chrysta Bairre of the International Association of Administrative Professionals recommends making a list of your job-related accomplishments, identifying your weaknesses, and setting several goals for next year. Follow the SMART model for creating goals. Make all of your goals specific, measurable, and achievable, for example.
Now is also a good time to start gathering the information you will need to create tax reports come January. If you start doing this before the holiday season arrives, you can identify any missing files and start looking for them immediately. This helps prevent the stress associated with waiting until the last minute and then finding out you do not have all the information you need to complete a project. If you work as a human resources administrative assistant, talk to your boss about anything that needs to be done before the end of the year. You might need to start preparing to issue holiday bonuses or gifts to employees.
Now is a perfect time to get started on all of the tasks you need to complete during the last quarter of 2013. Planning ahead for your performance review can help you do a better job of communicating your value to your boss. Gathering information for reports due in December and January can make it easier to get those reports in on time. As the holiday season approaches, use your time wisely and you will have a much happier new year at work.
Nancy Anderson is the communities and article Editor for Beyond.com. Nancy has 10 years’ experience in the online job search business with Beyond. Nancy’s team produces dozens of articles every month for top internet sites. Follow Nancy and the Beyond team on https://twitter.com/BeyondJobs.
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