It’s almost that time of year again when you thank Santa for another pair of novelty socks and take some time to reflect on the year that was and wonder what the next one will bring. You’ll probably also revisit some of your goals for 2011 and hopefully give yourself a firm pat on the back for all the things you have achieved and start to think about what you plan to tick off next year.
It certainly is a never-ending cycle that can feel a little overwhelming sometimes – right at the end of the year when you should be taking some time off to celebrate you have a whole other set of goals to plan out, and more often than not you’re working long days trying to get things done to ensure a smooth running of your business, project or blog over the Christmas break. I more than anyone find it hard to slow down (I even have a to do list for the holidays!), but I’ve learnt this year that this is an absolute must if you want to succeed – not only at being an entrepreneur, but also as a human being.
No one can run at 100% or even 90% for very long, and it’s just unrealistic to think that we can. Life (and business) is full of ups and downs, peaks and troughs and I think being successful simply means that you maximise and embrace both of these times to get the most out of them. For example, there’s no point in forcing yourself to do something important when you’re feeling tired and grumpy as it’s not going to be your best work, so you should embrace the down time and completely switch off – that way tomorrow you’ll feel well rested and ready to fire on all cylinders.
Even longer term than that, if you’re feeling like you need a week or two off then find a way to make it happen, and enjoy it. By the way, that doesn’t mean checking blackberry’s every half hour or sneaking in a little work here and there – make sure you rest and give yourself some time to breathe – take up that hobby you’ve been neglecting, hit the gym or work your way through the list of movies you’ve been meaning to watch but just haven’t had the time.
I hope everyone out there at least makes a little New Years resolution to themselves to have a break at some point over the next few weeks – think of it as an investment in your business and take some time to dream and visualise all of your goals for 2012. You’re no doubt going to work harder than ever this year to be where you want to be in a year’s time, so black out some time in your calendar and enjoy the calm.
I’m feeling super excited about the year ahead – my goals are written and I plan to relax this Christmas by doing lots of baking, going ice skating and spending some quality time with my boyfriend and friends.
How do you plan to reward yourself for all your hard work this year?
Photo Credit – Thanks to OmirOnia (sxu license)
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I felt the same way you did until I read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Now I try never, ever to violate my daily work ritual because it’s like throwing a wrench into the wheels of my productivity machine.
As soon as I let my guard down by taking even a single day off, inner resistance creeps into my subconscious and does all kinds of funky stuff that makes me not want to work.
To prevent this from happening, I work a solid 3 to 5 hours a day 7 days/week through holidays and everything else. Seems that most prolific writers and other successful creative pros do the same.
Christmas comes only once a year and there are lots of reasons why we need to celebrate it. It offers a break from the monotony of things and there is nothing wrong in grabbing this break. Even though it is one of the busiest seasons for a stay-at-home mom like me, it is also the best season for spending quality time with my husband and kids. I hope you enjoy yours as well.
Thanks Grace – you too!
I had planned many many things during the beginning of 2011 and committed to myself to accomplish some important tasks. But unfortunately I was not able to complete some tasks like I wanted to start my own blog site and write some blogs on yoga. But due to lack of budget, time and technical details that I need to know about setting a blog site, it was not completed. During December I managed to get all the technical details about setting up a blog and I have even prepared few blogs with some raw material. I hope I can complete this task by first week of January 2012.
Hi Lauren, that’s great – sometimes we all need a little extra time, and it sounds like you’ll be ticking everything off very soon. Good luck!