The End of Year Junk Drawer

What It Covers

37signals explains their December work structure: unstructured time for bug fixes, cleanup, and exploration between six-week cycles, preparing for January's productive quarter.

Key Questions Answered

• •Year-end buffer time: Build in unplanned weeks between structured cycles to clear technical debt, fix accumulated bugs, and let teams self-direct cleanup work before starting fresh.
• •Seasonal rhythm variation: Alternate between tight six-week cycles with formal planning and loose December wandering time. Contrast in work pace prevents burnout and enables creative exploration.
• •Email marination technique: Let non-urgent emails sit for three weeks in a reply-later folder. Initial guilt about brief responses fades, enabling two-line replies instead of exhausting novels.