When I'm not able to visit with family or travel to some place warm during the holiday season, my most favorite time of the year to work is the week between Christmas and the New Year. For the holidays, most of the office staff is on vacation, most of my organization's leadership is on vacation, and most on-going projects have been put on hold. In other words, I have found there is no other week of the year with fewer distractions than this week.
While I suppose I could spend this time of year at home eating what is left of the Christmas cookies, I prefer to be working instead. This is my week to catch up on emails, required training, and complete personal projects with very little interruption. My phone rarely rings and fires to put out are almost unheard of this last week of December. Oh what joy it is to work without a notification bell telling you to stop what you're doing so you can send back a one text reply! It's a magical time of the year for me.
Deservedly, my enthusiasm to be working this time of year has earned me a reputation of being a little bit like Ebenezer Scrooge. But I've learned from his mistakes of Christmas Past and Christmas Present and won't repeat them. When the wife says this is the year we're going to such-and-such place for Christmas, I will be there right along her side. When my teenage son actually wants to spend time with Dad, I will be there too. But when Christmas Future remains in bitter cold South Dakota and we have no plans to be elsewhere, I'm saving my vacation time for summer and working this week instead.
For those that disagree with using these days to be productive like no other, I say to you...Bah Humbug! Mr. Scrooge had it right all along.