Tip of the Week
How to Survive and Thrive during the Holidays
Another holiday season is upon us. Just when it seems the temperature got turned up on activity around the office: more customer inquiries, more deals to work, more reports to write, etc. The question seems to be "Where should I begin and how can we possibly enjoy the holidays too?"
We appreciate that many of you may be thinking along these lines and asking yourself these questions. Why does it always have to be so hectic at this time of year? Can't we all just slow down and enjoy the season? After all, aren't we supposed to take time to be grateful and show appreciation to others? If only if it were that easy.
We like to occasionally stop and get some perspective no matter how busy we are. We think it's important to practically sort through all the stuff "to do" and put a system around it so we can manage the work and not be managed by it. When push comes to shove, we find that a simple numbering system, prioritizing the tasks 1-4 as follows:
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Important and Urgent
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Not Urgent but Important
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Urgent but Not Important
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Not Urgent and Not Important
Which one of these areas do you think you spend the most of your time? The honest answer is, probably a lot more time in 3 and 4 than we would like to admit and not enough time in 1 and 2. Try it yourself. Make a list of all your pending tasks, assign a number based on the list above, and then see if you can prioritize the tasks based on how urgent and important they are. Be sure to allow some "2" time, the important stuff that isn't urgent. Even though it is important, we sometimes get overwhelmed with other stuff that seems important or urgent and never have enough time for effective planning, strategizing, and recreating.
The Holiday season is a great time of year to find some "2" time. Maybe it is that quiet time after a big turkey dinner; and everyone is tired and relaxing. Think about those important things that haven't been urgent, but you really want to get to them. Pick one and sketch a plan or an approach to dealing with that important topic. Even a short amount of time doing this kind of planning can save you hours later, plowing it over in your mind and not making tangible progress.
Another "tip" for not only surviving but thriving during the holidays is to take time to acknowledge folks who have helped make your year just a little better. Maybe it is a key referral source. Perhaps it is a colleague in your back shop who went above and beyond to get things done. Maybe it is a vendor who provides consistently stellar service and you can always count on them to be there for you. Whoever it is and whatever they do, just pick up the phone, put pen to paper, order a present for them - do something tangible to show your appreciation. You will feel better, they will be grateful and everyone wins.
Finally, pace yourself. There are only so many hours in a day, just so many parties to attend, and so many tasks that can reasonably be done. Chances are you are burning oil on both ends just to keep up with "normal life" and now the holiday season throws it all into overdrive. Be intentional, do not be afraid to say no, negotiate reasonable time tables and save some solitary time for yourself - otherwise you will burn out and you won't enjoy any of it.
We at sbaAccess are genuinely grateful to all of our clients, industry colleagues and friends. We appreciate your support and we look forward to connecting with you on matters of mutual interest. We wish you and your family and business associates a very Happy Thanksgiving Weekend and a great start to a wonderful Holiday Season.
Take the Right Approach
Brian Burke and Karen McHugh
SBA Access ©2009 - All Rights Reserved
All content is copyrighted and unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. If you would like to quote any part of this text, email bburke@sbaaccess.com or kmchugh@sbaaccess.com for permission.
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