‘Tis the season for distractions. With holiday parties around every corner, mental checklists of gifts, and the all-around festive feeling in the air, it can be hard to concentrate on getting that year-end work done. And we certainly aren’t alone in this--as demonstrated by the numerous lists and articles giving advice on how to stay focused this time of year, it’s something that pervades the business world. In the spirit of coworking and teamwork, we’ve gathered together some of these lists and tips here just for you.

1. From pacing yourself, to unplugging, to looking ahead, Forbes offers advice on "How to Be Productive - and Have Fun - in the Festive Season".

2. Fast Company reminds you to take a break and to set expectations, along with other words of wisdom on their list of "6 Tips to Stay Productive During the Holiday Season".

3. And Entrepreneur's "8 Tips to Keep You Productive This Holiday Season" includes such suggestions as sticking to a routine and letting the holiday cheer help fuel you.

BONUS: Hear it straight from the greats - the first Forbes' Under 30 Summit asked attendees how they keep focused amidst the festivities. You can read their responses here. 

"Having a true creative center, somewhere that people can bounce ideas off each other and network is key to survival." - Robbie Brown

Robbie Brown, CEO, and Ted Sieving, COO, talked with Outlier Magazine about WE Labs and the benefits of coworking:

You can catch the video walk-through tour of the workspace here.

According to Right Management Consultants, 86% of corporate employees are actively seeking employment elsewhere. What is it about the corporate business model that has so many looking for something different? Could coworking be the answer to what corporate escapees are looking for?

In 1996, Activity Based Working was introduced in the Netherlands (spreading to Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia), offering employees a bit of flexibility in not only where they worked, but when. This reduced the amount of desks corporations needed, as well as increased productivity by giving individuals options in choosing where they felt their work could be accomplished most effectively. Coworking spaces evolved from concepts such as these with only one center in 2005, to 781 cowork spaces by 2013.

“Indie Desk is a coworking space— a middle ground between working out of your loft and renting your own office. You'll find a desk and an Internet connection, but also a community of members who are building their own creative businesses.”

“Working from home is isolating and leads to slower business growth and a slew of distractions. Posh CoWorking provides a supportive community for entrepreneurs and freelancers who want a space to work, connect with peers and collaborate.”

“Harlem Garage is a coworking space for Harlem businesses, and a community space for Harlem. Entrepreneurs work and meet clients in our space, and teams make ideas happen in our collaborative areas.”

Occupying the entire 8th floor, WE Labs (Work Evolution Laboratories) is 8500 square feet of Long Beach entrepreneurship. WE balance the classic stylings of the historic Pacific Tower with cutting-edge tech innovation, inspiring members to work for themselves, not by themselves. In trying to get you out of your home office and onto what WE call  “the playing field of innovation” (like Indie Desk in LA), WE offer 2 wings of large, small, and dedicated deskspace. The walls and open spaces are filled with fixtures, installations, and canvases by local artist curated by co-founder and CEO Robbie Brown. Additionally, the west wing hosts events and workshops, as well being a satellite location for PadNet TV (Public Access Long Beach).  The interchange between part-time freelance members and full-time members (similar to Posh CoWorking in Austin) has led to successful community events and concepts. With The Works, soon freelancers can be in the running for future service contracts. WE Labs is very much a place for Long Beach business (like Harlem Garage) with a conference room available for reservations, including discounted rates for members. Our bottom-up approach to business reflects the values Virginia Rometty, CEO of IBM, expressed in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations: that a “person’s value lies not in what she/he knows, but in what he/she shares.”  WE work together, WE learn together, WE grow together.

In case you missed it, The Poetry Lab kicked off November at WE Labs with its annual Stranded Artist visiting writer's workshop and reading series. Co-founded by WE Labs founder Markus D. Manley and The Poetry Lab founder and director Danielle Mitchell, the series pays tribute to its Long Beach roots:

“In the 1930s Nat “King” Cole was stranded in Long Beach when his first paying gig was canceled. It is said that Cole liked Long Beach so much that he decided to stay, playing in jazz joints in the Downtown corridor until he had enough money to return home. Eventually back in Chicago, Cole formed King Cole Trio and launched his career, becoming one of the most legendary voices in American music. It is this tradition that the Stranded Artist celebrates; the history of nurtured creative talent finding a haven and a home, however temporary, in Long Beach, the city of vibrancy, art, and soul.” (via The Poetry Lab)

This year’s visiting artists were Geffrey Davis, author of the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize-winning collection Revising the Storm (BOA Editions, 2014), and Los Angeles-based poet F. Douglas Brown, author of the Cave Canem Prize-winning collection Zero to Three (University of Georgia Press, 2014). Davis and Brown led the well-attended, all-day poetry workshop, which included lectures, critiques of student work, and generative writing prompts. The day concluded with a free, public reading by both visiting writers followed by a reception, complete with wine, book signings, music, and mingling.

There will certainly be more great events in store, including The Poetry Lab's bimonthly workshops, so follow The Poetry Lab on Facebook to keep up! In fact, up next is the year-end Holiday Potluck and Reading. Join us for TPL's final event of 2014 on Thursday, November 20th at 7pm to celebrate a great year of writing and community.