How to recharge and prep for the new year while working during the holidays

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I am not taking any time off during the next two weeks. I'm not trying to win a hustle trophy. I actually don't believe in hustle culture. Instead, I'm punting my time off to January so my team can spend time with loved ones during the holiday season.

Many in corporate culture settings vacillate between "let me get this one thing done before the New Year" and "please leave me alone until 2026." I have reframed the last two weeks of the year — not to work harder, but to work differently.

For the past week, I've asked myself how I can use these next two weeks to be intentional about setting 2026 up for success. So here's how I'm taking advantage of the last two weeks of the year, which I'm calling auto-reply season:

1. I love a plan. It's what my career coach (my mom!) always preaches about: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." It's a biblical saying, but it applies to any leader. And while I've already submitted some of my team's plan for 2026, now that things are quieting down, it's the perfect time to shore it up, review the plan, identify areas for improvement, and refine it.
2. I'm also taking the time to reflect on my own daily processes and those of my team, looking for areas of opportunity. I plan to make a list of relationships to nurture when everyone inevitably circles back, and identify the partnerships my team and I can strengthen in the new year.
3. And like many industries, journalism is a talent game. It's the perfect time of year to look up and around to notice who I admire. It's a task that often gets pushed to the bottom of a to-do list, but it's important to know your peers and connect with them.

For anyone still working, remember the reason for the season — it's a time to enjoy community, whatever that looks like for you. You actually don't need to sprint to the finish line. A stroll will do.