I am writing this article, the week of Thanksgiving. There is enough to do with the short work week and now I am doing what I tell my clients not to do – procrastinate. I try to write regularly but as of late I have no ideas – blank, nada, nothing. Hence the procrastination of posting blog articles. This got me to thinking about how I will survive the holidays. Now I am sure you are being inundated with tips for time management and getting through the next month, so I will take a different approach.
Three things about the holidays that we tend to forget.
- The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends. Now I know as a business owner you have a business to run, profits to make and customer to service. Nevertheless how effective will you be if you cannot take a little time to enjoy your support system. Take the day for yourself, turn off the computer (yikes, yes I said, turn off the computer) and cell phone too. I am not sure how important you really are but you can afford one day, possibly two.
- Don’t feel guilty. Yes it is hard to step away for 24 hours or even 48 but it can be done. And since you are taking that all important step to forget business for that period, enjoy it. Feeling guilty or constant worry about what you are missing will defeat the whole purpose. Laugh at uncle Harry’s corny joke, watch an uninterrupted football game and linger at the table after the meal, anything but business will do.
- Reflect on the year that will soon be behind you. And not just the good stuff. I am one to believe that everything happens for a reason and you cannot grow without learning from your mistakes. Begin there, with your missteps. Concentrate on what you can do better and how you will get that accomplished.
Now those are the three things that I feel we tend to forget as we try to get through the holidays. If you take a step back and enjoy the view then the holidays are not so bad. What will you do to get through the holiday season?
