5 Things to do Before the Holiday Break

5 Things to do Before the Holiday Break Christmas is five days away (if you count today), and that, of course, means the start of 2013 is soon after. With the holidays fast approaching, most people have so much to do in what feels like so little time. We think of getting things ready in our personal liveslast minute shopping, wrapping gifts, putting up Christmas decorbut what about making sure to tie up any loose ends in our personal lives?No one wants to come back from a holiday break/vacation to an unschliffed business, literally. Below are five things you should make an effort to complete before your upcoming time offGo through your inboxWe all know how easy it is for emails to pile up in your inbox throughout the year. You know how youre always saying one day youll go through them? Today is the day. Now is the perfect time to sort through your inbox, replying to important messages, discarding unnecessary ones, and organizing those you need to save. Work can get busy and its easy to forget to respond to an email here and there in the madness. Yet, you dont want to never reply to emails always sending a response and continuing communication until an appropriate end is important because it reflects upon you as a professional.Finish year-end projectsLike emails, a lot of workers have the tendency to put off completing projects for a later date. If you started a task in 2012, especially if it was a small one, why not schliff it in 2012? Dont bring old work into a new year, if you can help it. No one wants to come back to work and be forced to finish work from last year on top of new assignments for 2013. Of course some projects are long term and may drift into the New Year, but if you set an end-of-the-year deadline, try to adhere to it.Put in for vacation timeSome companies have certain deadlines when it comes to 1) using your vacation time before the end of the year or 2) r equesting off for a new year. Be sure you request off the time you know youll need in 2013, especially if the time is during the first few months of the upcoming year. Avoid coming back from a break with plans to take off in 2013 only to be rudely awakened to the fact that you shouldve handled this before the new year.Apply for promotions/new positions If youve had your eye on that upper-level position, dont wait until its too late to apply for it, especially if your company has set a 2012 deadline. Besides, applying for a new position can sometimes be time consuming. You have to make sure all your ducks are in a rowtightening up your resume, getting needed references, filling out applications and assessments. Its better to finish this task now than to have it hanging over your head in 2013.Enjoy the holidaysThis is something for after you leave work, but equally important to accomplish. So many people dont know how to keep the lines of work and outside-of-work separate. Try not to bring your work laptop home this holiday break and turn off your company phone, if possible. For most of the year you spend a great deal of time working dont bring the office into your holiday break. Make an effort to step away from anything work related this year and truly enjoy this time off.