You’ve had a brilliant break and now it’s time to get stuck back into work but where do you start?
1) Make a to-do list
To prevent getting overwhelmed, make a list of all the outstanding items which need your attention. Once you’ve done this, categorise them in terms of priority – today, next few days, due in a week etc. This will help make sure you don’t miss anything important and are able to meet any impending deadlines. Once you’ve completed a task, tick it off the to-do list for that all-important feeling of satisfaction!
2) Work through your emails systematically
Having a full inbox to return to is often one of the most dreaded aspects of returning to work after a break. This is even more so for those who are self-employed as there is often no one else to have dealt with your workload in your absence. There are various indicators you can use to predict how important an email is: are there any flagged for high importance; were you waiting on a response for something important which you can manually search for; does the subject line give you any clues etc.?
3) Reflect upon what has worked well and plan ahead for the rest of the year
Having a break away from your business can be a good opportunity to see things with a fresh perspective when you return. Once you’ve dealt with the items which required your urgent attention, take some time away from the day-to-day and reflect upon your business and how it has been going lately. Have you achieved the things you wanted to achieve? Are you on track to meet your end-of-year goals? Is there anything which has worked particularly well? Perhaps there is something which hasn’t worked so well which has been bothering you, but you’ve not yet had an opportunity to address it. Re-visit your business plan and plan ahead for the rest of the year to maximise upon the good work which you have done so far and ensure the remainder of the year is as successful as it can be.
How can X-Forces Enterprise help?
If you’ve already started a business with us and would like some support in evaluating how the year has gone or planning for the year ahead then get in touch with our mentoring team who are always happy to chat. We also have our Military in Business events which are ideal for current and prospective business owners to network and share ideas and best practice.
If you haven’t yet started a business or have been trading under 24 months and would like to access to funding, a dedicated business advisor or would like to attend one of our start-up events contact us today to see how we can support you. All our support is fully funded by our partners and therefore at no cost to you.
You may also be interested in:
#XFSuccess
Join our Military in Business® Quarterly to stay in the loop with upcoming training & networking events, Ambassador insights, special guest speakers and trending business articles.