SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: What are you most excited about going into the end of the year?
- Having this year be over with and starting a new one: 26.08%
- Celebrating our success this year: 14.82%
- Promoting and rewarding people for their performance: 6.75%
- Planning for an exciting 2014: 28.14%
- Going on vacation and recharging my batteries: 24.2%
Glad it’s almost over. As we enter the final two months of 2013, clearly a majority of you are breathing a sigh of relief — some getting ready to celebrate but more just wanting to catch your breath. Be sure to give yourself that break. Prolonged stress hampers performance and if you don’t get your rest during a slow part of the year, getting things in gear as 2014 starts will prove difficult. Take a cue from the rest of the world — if nobody else is at the office, you shouldn’t be either. So sprint across the finish line (generally accepted to be Dec. 21) and take a deep breath. Celebrate accomplishments, relax, recover and make sure you’re well-rested to start 2014 with a clear head and full batteries.
Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS and author of “One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership.”