It’s the day after Christmas. Congratulations, you made it through another holiday! Of course, there’s still New Year’s – but that should be a breeze in comparison.
I don’t mean to sound like a Scrooge. But this “most wonderful time of the year” can bring extra pressure – especially within the business community, where some haven’t yet made their “numbers” for the year.
If you haven’t hit your quota by Thanksgiving, the best you can usually hope for is a strong start in the New Year. Not much will happen until then, unless of course, you’re in retail.
But the winter holiday season can also be a time for decompression and reflection – an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day grind and get a fresh perspective on your life and your business.
This can be an ideal time for year-end planning – not just because it is, in fact, the end of the year, but because the rest of the world is slowing down, giving you permission to slow down as well.
In the classic business books E-Myth and E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber encourages entrepreneurs to work on their businesses, not just in them. Though some of his conclusions have spurred healthy debate (see this blog post for an example), I believe the concept is solid.
Despite the ideal, most of us work “in” our businesses a lot, addressing the issues and crises of the moment. And we probably need to incorporate more time to work “on” them. This quiet, holiday lull is the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Year-end planning can be invigorating and refreshing. Try turning off your computer (when is the last time it rested for more than 12 hours?), unplugging your phone (figuratively) and taking the time to reflect on your goals, dreams and vision for 2013.
Dream on … and enjoy the rest of your holiday!It’s always exciting to visualize what’s possible, and this may just be the perfect time of year to do it.
11710 Plaza America Drive, Suite 2000 Reston, VA 20190
703.278.CORE (2673)
Leave a Reply