Yep, I hear you loud and clear. I can see vividly the pressures my clients and community are feeling. We all want to finish the work year strong. We all want to maximize the holiday season and spend more time with family and friends. We all have a mile-long to-do list filled with Christmas shopping, holiday parties, general preparation…
Today, I invite you to “Stop and Smell the Pumpkin Pie” as my dear friend and expert branding coach, Monica Magnetti, says. Yes, we can get it all done while enjoying the best season of the year. I hope to share a few tips based on what I’m doing. My goal is that we all get to make the most of this time together!
Step one: Write it all down.
You should see my desk right now! To-do lists and calendar schedules lay neatly in a row. Yes, I’m obsessed with organization and neatness. The good news is you don’t have to be! The takeaway is: get organized.
What do I mean? Pull out your dusty calendar if you don’t use one often and write down all holiday parties, work deadlines, and bill due dates if needed. I don’t want to miss anything. I’m more apt to write too much down than not enough.
Next, I get out a big blank sheet of paper and think of every to do I can imagine. The goal is NOT to look at this list and get overwhelmed. The goal is to get it all out of your head. We can drive ourselves nuts by rotating to-dos in our heads all day long. No wonder we feel behind!
Step two: Take a deep breath and calm down.
I had a blast a couple of weeks ago making a new to-do list… wait for it… this time the to-do list was not work-related. It was fun-related! I listed all the things I wanted to do before it was too late and the holiday season passed me by. Such as building a gingerbread house, making a snowman (sorry Arizonans), and making sugar cookies. I did not want another holiday to pass me by, another year, without taking full advantage.
Step three: Deep breath…ready, set, charge!
I have been busy non-stop for the past few weeks. You’d think I’d be exhausted and cranky, but because I’m having a lot of fun with family and friends, I’m actually achieving a ton of balance. I’m more focused and clear when I show up to start working in the mornings, I’m having a more quality and enjoyable night with the people I care about, and I’m not wigged out and stressed like I see many others experiencing.
That’s it! A pretty easy formula, I know. Having awareness is my last huge bonus tip. When feelings of anxiety enter, I recognize the tension. Next, I ask myself if this issue or feeling is really worth the stress it causes. Meaning either I let the anxiety win, or I win and take control to release and move on.
What will you do?
