How to Avoid the Back-to-Work Holiday Hangover - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Avoid the Back-to-Work Holiday Hangover - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career For most of a month, many of you have been more interested in travel plans, party plans, and gift ideas than the drudgery of career obligations and bottom lines. The time has come to wake up. The party is definitely over! While this may be easier said than done, it must be done, nonetheless. It is time to start living up to some of those resolutions that were made when time was still on your side and that better ‘you’ was easier to dream about than to implement. Shake the sugarplums from your head and put your nose back to the grindstone. The New Year is finally here and in full bloom. Here are five great ways to get back in the game post-holiday: 1. Start Planning Your Summer Vacation. That doesn’t seem right, does it? Actually, you need something to look forward to now more than ever. Even if you don’t make any hard and fast plans for where to go and what to do at this point, reminding yourself that the end of the holiday season doesn’t mean the end of time off, will make facing that pile of work that Santa and his elves didn’t get around to a little less immobilizing. 2. Dive Into a Small Task. Gaining traction with a smaller task will grease the gears and get the juices flowing. The sense of accomplishment gained by its completion is certain to spur you on to the next thing on your to-do list and makes easing back into work-mode more palatable. 3. Reconnect With Your Workmates. There may have been a few office parties, but for the most part family has been the focal point for many. If showing your Aunt Clara and Uncle Bernie around town the last few weeks has been your lot, the office gang may be a welcomed relief. Renewing these relationships will help get you back in the groove of things work-related. 4. Wear a New Gift. Whether it’s jewelry from a loved one or a sweater you gave to yourself, having something new to show off at work is a great motivator for getting back to the office. When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you are definitely more productive. 5. Eat Clean For a While. Between the cocktails and fudge, it’s no wonder you’re feeling lethargic. Regardless of your New Year’s resolutions, resolve to at least give your body a much-needed break. It will thank you and reward you with strength, alertness and an overall sense of well-being. This, of course, will be needed in the days to come as you and your co-workers play catch up. You didn’t really think those reports were going to get done while you were out making merry, did you? 2012 is quickly disappearing in the rearview mirror, and 2013 stretches out beyond horizons that concealuncharted territory. You have the power to determine how smooth the ride is from here. Getting the journey started off on the right foot can be half the battle. Author: Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter is a Glassdoor career and workplace expert, chief career writer and partner with CareerTrend, and is one of only 28 Master Resume Writers (MRW) globally. An intuitive researcher, she helps professionals unearth compelling career story details to help best present their unique experience, skillset and interests in resumes and other career positioning documents as well as through social media profiles. In addition to being interviewed for television and radio stories, Jacqui has written for the Career Management Alliance Connection monthly newsletter and blog, ExecuNet’s Career Smart Advisor, The Kansas City Star, The Business Journal and The Wall Street Journal. In addition, she and her husband, “Sailor Rob,” host a lively careers-focused blog over at http://careertrend.net/blog. Jacqui also is a power Twitter user listed on several Best People to Follow” lists for job seekers.