Finishing Strong

WORDS: JUSTIN SCOTT

As we head into the last few months of the year we’ve got to make sure we stay focused, keep our energy levels up and be conscious of how silly season could derail us.

I have a theory about this time of year which has evolved from many years of working with people in business. I’d love to tell you that there is a scientific and deeply theoretical base to it, but that wouldn’t be true. In fact, until I was writing this article, it was really just a view that I held on something, but now it seems that my theory does have some actual science behind it — who knew!

Around September or October each year we see the start of the “silly season”. What exactly is the silly season, you ask? We’ll, it’s that time of year when everybody wants everything done right now — right away, with no delays and bucket-loads of gusto. And they want it all from you. You feel as if you have become the centre of some great slavery conspiracy and your workload doubles, or even triples, as you try to get it all done. Add to that all the deadlines,
targets and goals that you need to worry about and you instantly understand why it’s called the silly season — there is just no way it’s going to happen, plus you just don’t have any energy left.

Here’s what’s happening:
You’re getting roped into projects. The first thing that we need to realise is that the majority of people have either not started projects that were part of their “to do” list at the start of the year, or they’ve just realised they are 75 percent through the year and stand very little chance of finishing it, even if they did start it. So, as with all
great projects, they’ll rope in any resources that they can to try and sprint to the finish and make it happen. If you are a person that people can rely on, they’ll be looking to you for help — learn to say no.
Some goals or targets get missed. Like projects, people also tend to set goals or targets for themselves and entering the silly season they wake up to the fact that those may not be reached. The last three months of the year (and December isn’t really a work month) are when the biggest push is asked for to either hit the goals or get
close. It’s always great to be a team player and put in a big effort, but don’t get over-burdened with other people’s unrealistic goals or targets.
You’re tired and here’s why — and this is a key part of my theory. We all have an internal clock, referred to as the circadian system, which regulates numerous functions, including when we sleep and wake, and it works in 24-hour cycles. Since our bodies like rhythm and structure, it works out that, for most of us, eight hours is the amount of time that we’re wired to work for. That’s just over 2000 hours a year for a normal work-week. OK, now work out how much extra time you’ve been working or staying up late when your body needs sleep. If you work for an extra hour a day, that’s over a full month per year in time that you’ve put in. Add to that the late nights and your body is craving a break — and it knows that December is that time. Problem is that you’ve “used up” all your work energy by October,
so you’re running on fumes… and you’re taking on an extra load from those around you pushing to finish projects and reach goals.

If you’ve stayed the course and are reading this article, here’s how to handle these challenges and finish strong. It’s simple — all it takes is a little effort and some courage.

• Get to bed earlier. I’m not talking crazy early, but just think about how you fall asleep when you go camping. No TV, no lights, everything dark. Your body tells you that it’s time to sleep and you listen. Do the same at home.
• Say no. This is hard, but don’t get pulled into projects at the last minute. You won’t get the credit for making it happen and you could carry the blame if it doesn’t.
• Communicate. If you’ve been given unrealistic goals or targets for the last three months, tell someone — 10 percent or 20 percent is a decent stretch above target, but trying to do half the year’s sales in two months won’t help you to finish strong. It’ll demoralize you and make you doubt your own ability.
• Remember that it’s the silly season. Most people aren’t aware of why they’re acting the way that they are. Now you do, however, so explain it to them and smile. All clocks, goals and projects get reset in January, so you’ve got a new year to try and make things happen.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on my ideas, I’d be happy to hear from you about them. As I said, it really is my theory that’s evolved over years. It’s helped me to manage the latter part of the year and be a better leader by not burdening my team. There is a fine balance between pushing to finish a year strong and being silly — I’m sure that you’ll be on the right side!