Ironically, as the time to enjoy the holidays gets closer, our lives get more frantic. The business bustle of finding those last dollars in customer pockets has an unavoidable allure. Last minute tax benefits, employee relations, year-end planning, and IT needs all have a high priority. Then, on top of our business, we layer things like shopping, parties, decorating, and family needs. There is more unhappiness during the holidays than any other time of the year.
As entrepreneurs, business owners, or overtaxed executives, the key to survival is staying present—in the moment—as the pressures of the season increase. To that end, I offers these gifts.
1. Practice being present. Once your mind and body speed up, they become hard to stop. You have an opportunity to get ready to slow down by practicing. Here’s how. Start eating fresh fruit, and eat it in a particular manner. Own that apple (or banana, orange, etc.). Take each bite very deliberately and don’t think about anything but the fruit. The taste, the texture, the smell are all open to becoming memories. Then, when your life seems out of control, say the word “apple” to yourself. Make it a quick mental mantra and take your memories back to the experience of eating the fruit. This practice works in a couple of ways. It helps you reboot your body’s energy and it lets you re-center on the present (rather than all of the frantic worries).
2. Read the words. This is another version of the being present. I’ve found myself in the last few days reading things like papers, books, magazine, and blogs and found extreme difficulties remembering what I just read. My eyes were reading the words but my mind had checked out. Force yourself to slow down and read ALL of the words. If you have to, read out loud to slow yourself down.
You are engaging in an activity similar to what runners sometimes experience. In their case it’s more physical than mental, but the result is the same. The runner just wants to keep going—it’s the rush of the experience. In this case, your mind is in such a state of overdrive it doesn’t want to slow down. Runners don’t stop, they walk and cool down. Do the same when reading. Don’t stop, slow down.
3. Remember the Important. This sounds silly, but we often forget what’s really important when we get busy. We go to work because we’re supposed to. We work late because it’s expected. You just have to stop and ask yourself if it will really matter six months from now. I can tell you the answer is “no.” In Fast Company, Marshall Goldsmith wrote a compelling article on “Making Resolutions that Matter.” A friend of his had the chance to interview people who were aged or near death. No one regrets not working hard. The biggest regret was not taking the time to enjoy and appreciate family and good friends. If you were to look back, what would you have to say about your holiday life in 2009?
I think that we were given holidays so that we can truly appreciate the wonders that are held out before us. Be present and enjoy them.
We wish you and yours a very happy holiday.
About the Author: Neil Phillips is Director of the DSWA Coach Excellence program and founding partner of Team Connections. Get more from Neil on his Direct Selling Notebook and Twitter.
