This December seems crazier than usual for many. Maybe it is time to acknowledge that this isn’t the time to try to fit more in. Give your brain a holiday so you can be fresh and re-energised for an excellent 2013.
Are you thanking your clients?
End of year messages can get lost in the end of year craziness. It isn’t a good use of your time and might annoy rather than engender a positive relationship with your clients. Wait until the new year, when you and your clients are fresh. It is a positive way to connect with people at the start of the year and you can write the messages when you have the time to do it well. Your clients are also more likely to notice and appreciate the contact. Use this time of year to thank your supportive team. If you don’t have staff, perhaps it is that reliable group of friends on the other end of the phone when you’ve had a stressful day.
Is now really the best time for reviewing the year?
It is a natural instinct to ponder and reflect on how the year went when you’re coming to the end of it. Evaluate the wins and mistakes. It is essential to take time out to review your business, but delay it to when you’re not worn out. Taking notes in December is good because it allows you to switch your brain off rather than churning it over, but doing a full review when you’re exhausted won’t give you the opportunity to see the wins and mistakes with perspective. Use your quieter January to review and plan. I’ve previously had the Tribe Research planning day in December and while it seemed at the time like a great way to finish the year with my team and then go out for dinner together, I then spent the holidays working out how we could implement all the ideas, rather then giving my brain a break. Simply moving the planning day to January allowed me to switch of during the break much more effectively and had much more energy when I returned to work.
Where do you get your best ideas?
Remember the phrase ‘you don’t get your best ideas sitting at your desk‘. I think this also applies to not taking breaks from work. You need to give your mind space. Your brain can do an amazing amount of processing if you give it the space to and not force it to keep going. Happy holidays!
