Even though the holiday season means more time with family and friends, there aren’t many days off for real estate agents.

When it comes to being proactive about managing time — and all of the time your clients, family, and business are asking of you this time of year — it’s best to start with a plan.

Patten Title wants to make sure that you’re still able to make the most of your holiday season. So, we have compiled 10 tips to help you get to the new year in a positive frame of mind.

Only some tasks are priorities, and some are more important than others. Every day, write down a to-list of what needs to be done. (Remember, it’s OK if some items carry over from the day before.)

If you have 10 items on the list, rank each item — you can use a system like A, B or C, or some people like to color-code their priorities. The A tasks are the most important, the B tasks are next, and the C tasks are last. The A items should be nonnegotiable, meaning they must be finished that day.

For some professionals, completing that daily list is a personal challenge. Others prefer to organize their needs so that deadlines aren’t missed.

Scheduling time is critical for busy real estate agents. Start by blocking out 90 minutes for the A tasks. If that is too long or too short, attach an appropriate time limit to each item on your list to keep you focused.

You may only sometimes finish in the time allotted, but other times you might finish earlier than the projections. Finishing early is a win, allowing you to move on to the B items more quickly. The point is to make sure that you have your day scheduled.

When you’re pulled in multiple directions, it’s best to let all parties know what’s on your schedule each day.

By now, your family is probably used to being interrupted by client calls, so set aside time on your schedule during which you ignore email alerts and let the phone go to voicemail. The key is communication and keeping all parties — your family, customers, office, everyone — aware of when you’re at work and when you’re decorating the tree.

The best way to get better at any skill is repetition. This applies to scheduling and holiday management, too.

Start by ensuring you wake up every day at the same time, create your schedule for the next day every night, and then follow through daily.

It can take six weeks to create a habit. By practicing a consistent formula for organizing your day, you will be more productive by 2023.

Delegating during the holiday season is critical. Now is the time for managers to focus on revenue-driving responsibilities and allow others in the organization to assume the work that doesn’t move the bottom line.

Delegating also means making better use of your resources. Discover how you can save time using Breakthrough Broker and PattApp to ramp up your social media efforts during the holidays.

Writing about even the slightest time management strain might sound strange, but for many people, it works.

If you don’t know where to start, you can begin by writing down every thought that comes through your head for 10 minutes in the morning — this is known as a “Brain Dump.” That means every thought, not just those related to work, is finding its way from your brain down to your paper.

Keeping a journal is a great way to clean up all the stray bits of information and partial thoughts clouding your brain. Studies have also shown that it’s best if you can actually write your thoughts down using a pen and notebook rather than a computer.

The end of the year is always a great time to take stock of where the business is at and where you want to go.

Set aside time to talk to mentors and employees about the new year and how you want to tackle it. This process can help whittle down your daily to-do list (taking off the things that don’t seem to help in 2023) and launch your business to a fast start for the new year.

Stress is bound to be part of the season. If you cannot spend extra time on the front or back end of appointments, ensure that all parties are aware you might be late.

You can’t control a late-arriving buyer or a closing that takes longer than expected. It’s OK to make sure that family, friends, and your next appointment know your schedule has changed.

What does self-care look like to you? Are you exercising, getting plenty of rest, and keeping a healthy diet?

While it might feel like these are “extras” that are the first things to drop from your list when the schedule piles up, if your body is healthy, it’s easier to keep the rest of your life on track.

Creating a new to-do list and starting a journal while adding exercise to your daily routine might feel like you’ve added even more to an already-packed schedule. But trust that maintaining a daily schedule can help you, your body, and your business thrive during the holiday season and into the new year.

For additional tips on Time Management, check out the ABCs of Time Management