Every December, I see it. And if I’m honest, I’ve felt it many times in the past, too. It’s that familiar, frantic push to the finish line—the need to wrap up all the loose ends, meet every deadline, and accomplish every single goal before the calendar flips to January 1st.
This pressure is utterly exhausting.
On its own, closing out a professional or business year is demanding. But then, for many of us, the entire holiday season with the parties, the shopping, the travel, the family expectations is layered right on top of it all, like icing on an overwhelm cake. We find ourselves pushing so hard that we arrive at the new year completely depleted, needing a “holiday from the holidays.”
But it doesn’t have to be this way, and today, I want to talk about how we can finish the year well without sacrificing our sanity, our sleep, or our joy.
If you’re feeling pressure, fatigue, or frustration right now, take a deep breath. You are in good company, and you are exactly where you need to be.
Why We Burn Out at the End of the Year
The end of the year brings a truly unique kind of pressure. We are closing out major projects, preparing for new ones, finalizing finances, coordinating complicated schedules, and trying to wrap up the year in ways that feel meaningful and productive.
But the sheer volume of this work isn’t the only culprit.
This rush is happening during a major holiday season. Even if you love the holidays, the mental and logistical load increases significantly. School events, family gatherings, travel plans, special meal prep, and extra errands all pile up. These new demands don’t replace your existing responsibilities; they are simply added to them. It’s a recipe for burnout.
As if that weren’t enough, this all occurs in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter. Our bodies and brains naturally encourage us to slow down during this cold, low-light season. Winter is not a time of peak productivity for humans. Yet, we feel compelled to do the exact opposite: to rush, push, and sprint harder than ever.
There’s a pervasive story we tell ourselves that this kind of push is noble somehow. It sits perfectly within the “hard work” narrative where we feel proud to “finish strong,” even if it’s a result of personal sacrifice. We’re convinced that if we just put in the extra hours, we’ll magically get ahead.
But here’s the truth: More hours do not automatically lead to more productivity.
Research on productivity, including studies cited by Chris Bailey, author of The Productivity Project, shows that while working long hours might give you a temporary boost, productivity drops sharply over time. For example, research suggests that after several weeks of 60-hour workweeks, the total output often only equals that of a standard 40-hour week.
Think about that for a moment: 20 extra hours of time and effort producing no meaningful increase in results. The only thing increasing is your risk of burnout. Our brains hit cognitive fatigue long before our to do lists end. When we push past our limits, our focus drops, our accuracy drops, and with it, so do our creativity and patience. Pushing yourself doesn’t help you catch up; it often pushes you further into stress.
Slowing Down Without Stopping: A Strategic Approach
I know the idea of slowing down can be scary, especially when you feel far behind. But it is crucial that you do not confuse slowing down with stopping.
Slowing down is strategic.
It is how we preserve energy for what truly matters. It is how we create the space to think clearly, prioritize effectively, and make intentional choices. It is how we ultimately get more done in less time and with less stress.
Slowing down does not mean abandoning your goals. It means adjusting your pace to match your energy and your reality. This is why having seasonal systems matters. Your life changes, your responsibilities change, and your capacity changes, so your systems must change right along with them. This is where we can really slow down and speed up strategically.
A Two-Part Strategy for Finishing Burnout-Free
So, how do we balance real responsibilities with our real human limits?
Here is the two-part approach I recommend for a less stressful December:
- Reduce capacity where possible.
- Use intentional sprinting for the work that truly needs to happen.
1. Reduce Capacity Where Possible
One of the best ways to check things off your to-do list is by simply removing items from it (or at least delaying them). Before you commit to doing everything on your mind or list, pause and ask the most critical question of the month:
What actually needs to happen right now?
If you are a multi-passionate or deeply responsible person (or both!), it might feel like everything is essential. But it isn’t. Not in December.
Try asking yourself these clarifying questions:
- What can wait until January?
- What can be simplified? Can you send an e-card instead of a personalized note? Can you order a ready-made dish instead of cooking from scratch?
- What can be outsourced or shared? Can a family member take on a commitment? Can a colleague handle a task?
- What can be done “good enough” rather than perfectly? Give yourself permission to lower the bar temporarily.
- What commitments can I reduce or delay?
There is a reason the phrase “let’s circle back after the holidays” is so popular in corporate culture. There is a natural cutoff point where resources and energy are simply not available. Give yourself the breathing room you need and deserve by choosing what you can circle back to next month. Reducing capacity intentionally is how you preserve energy for what matters most.
2. Intentional Sprinting
Once you have trimmed your commitments to what truly matters, it is time to approach those priorities with intention, not hustle.
This is what I call sprinting, and it is not the same as hustling.
- Hustling is a prolonged, painful push driven by pressure, usually without rest built in. It is exhausting.
- Sprinting is short, focused, purposeful bursts of energy expenditure, and it is always paired with recovery.
An intentional sprint might be:
- 25 to 45 minutes of deep, uninterrupted work on a single task.
- A half-day of structured output with mandated, regular breaks.
The key to a successful sprint is simple:
- Choose one priority.
- Define the sprint before you start (e.g., “I will draft the outline for 35 minutes”).
- Work with fierce intention.
- Rest and reward yourself immediately afterward.
Intentional sprints let you produce meaningful work and meet your deadlines while staying aligned with your energy, not fighting against it.
Your January Self Will Thank You
As you finish this year, remember: Finishing exhausted isn’t worth it.
You don’t need to collapse at the finish line to prove anything to anyone. You don’t get extra credit for pushing harder. Doing less with intention often leads to far better results than doing everything in a rush.
Finishing gently is still finishing.
Choose a gentler, more grounded way to wrap up the year. Your January self will thank you for showing up rested, clear-headed, and ready for what’s next.
