Nov 30, 20182 min read

Are you going to come up for air?

Doing some month planning this morning and being reminded how crazy this time of year is. Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday parties, the final push for the end of the business year, and on and on.

I wanted to share with you some quick thoughts that struck me.

We have two options, we can bury our head and bulldoze through the craziness and see what shrapnel is around us come January or make this December different than previous ones.

This year I am going to choose to do it differently. I am going to come up for air. I will still be laser focused at times, but I will also be going for the marathon vs. sprint mentality.

How am I going to make it different?

The first step is to identify the nonnegotiables of what has to get done now versus in January for personal and professional life.

Below is a key personal and professional non-negotiable on my list. I recommend these being on your list based on what I have seen in my own life as well as others.

Personal

Personally, if not careful, you will arrive at yearend exhausted and having no true connection with your own family this month. So, offset that by going on a date with your spouse, as well as your kids. Just because there is a lot of family time during the holidays, does not mean there is a lot of conversation and true connection. You are mingling with relatives and friends and not necessarily connecting with your own family.

Action step: Grab a date this weekend with your spouse. Grab some time with your kids as well.

Professional

Professionally, we get so tactile that when January arrives we don’t know our strategy for 2019. We start the new year stressed and wandering. Best way to offset is by having a couple strategic sessions by yourself this month. Schedule a couple one-hour sessions to think thru what your 2019 strategy is, and with more specificity, your Q1 strategy.

Action step: Place strategic sessions on your calendar so you have a vision and plan for the start of the year.