By Jeff Beals
The holiday season is in full throttle, so let’s keep this week’s advice on the light side.
Whether you’re enjoying eight nights of Hanakkuh, celebrating the joy of Christmas or simply hoping for a raucous good time on New Year’s Eve, the holidays are a demanding time of the year.
Very demanding.
It takes a lot of time to shop, eat, drink, celebrate, worship and spend time with loved ones. All that time devoted to merriment is also time spent away from your routine – your business and your career.
At this time of year, how can you enjoy a cup of good cheer without sacrificing your professional progress? It’s not easy, but you can do both – celebrate AND make progress this season.
My gift to you this year is a handy little list:
1. Don’t fret. Accept the fact that less traditional business takes place between December 20th and January 2nd. A little rest and time away from the grind will hopefully recharge you and sharpen your focus.
2. Improve. Since most of us will be spending less time in the office, the holiday season is a great chance to catch up on books, magazines and trade journals. If you find yourself getting a little too much quality time with in-laws, uncles and second cousins, open your laptop and go through that webinar you’ve been thinking about completing.
3. Catch up. If the phone is not ringing as much, and many of your colleagues are on vacation during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, it’s the perfect chance to dig into a new project, finish busy work that has been sitting in piles or go through your files and throw out unneeded papers. Delete ancient documents from your database.
4. Get philosophical. During a quiet moment this holiday season, think about your work and your professional purpose in life. What do you want to change? How does your approach need to change?
5. Get creative. Do something artistic or imaginative that you do not normally do. Perhaps you have a neglected hobby. Picking it back up could open your mind and position you for greater accomplishments in 2012.
6. Write. Have you been thinking about starting a blog? How about submitting an op-ed piece to your local newspaper or contributing an article to a professional publication? Getting published can do wonders for your business. The big challenge for most people is not the writing and research; it’s finding the time.
7. Put people before profit. Remember that time spent on personal relationships this season is time well spent. I envision a future in which healthy relationships will be a form of currency. As the economy gets more and more complicated and fast-moving, access to a large group of loyal friends, family and professional acquaintances will be the key to business and career success.
I hope this holiday season is enjoyable and meaningful for you and that 2012 brings you many blessings both personally and professionally.
Jeff Beals is an award-winning author, who helps professionals do more business and have a greater impact on the world through effective sales, marketing and personal branding techniques. As a professional speaker, he delivers energetic and humorous keynote speeches and workshops to audiences worldwide. To discuss booking a presentation, go to JeffBeals.com or call (402) 637-9300.
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