We get so caught up in the holiday festivities, we entrepreneurs and career oriented spouses can forget to keep one eye on our long term goals while the immediate rewards of checking things off our holiday to do list take precedence. I find that a great way to avoid getting totally sucked in is to set aside an hour for goal setting.
If you missed my free teleclass in November you can brew a cup of tea, grab a blank piece of paper and write out your 2017 goals: http://events.instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=91492977 (if you want to sign up for more free monthly coaching tele-classes, download my free report on 6 powerfully productive strategies for 5 star success on my home page and then you will be invited to my free monthly conference calls that are focused on taking your life and career to the next level.
I love taking a few action steps before the New Year begins because in the past I have had a hard time initiating new projects after the break. Do you ever come up for air in January and wonder where all the time went between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Did your business goals take the back burner in the face of Black Friday sales? Did you say no to that December networking event that would have moved your side hustle to the next level because you were “too busy”? I know that I have. While I try to delay work projects in order to set aside time for family, I know I also put projects on hold for less important tasks. These tasks often seem urgent, but after debriefing I realize they weren’t the best use of my time.
I’m currently reading The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and it reminded me that I am often less productive professionally during the month of December. This is likely because I spend a lot of time decorating, wrapping, and hanging out with family instead of speaking to potential new clients, writing, and growing my coaching practice. While I’m a big proponent of vacations and family time, sometimes the best remedy for not getting too carried away with the chaos of the holidays is to stick to a schedule similar to your regular one. While I do allow myself to take a couple extra days off or gain a few holiday pounds, this book encouraged me to at least tackle one big business frog before transitioning to my elfly duties. This way, when the holidays are over I won’t be stuck feeling like I’m leagues behind with my business. Try jotting down some ideas of next steps now so when the New Year begins you are off to a running start.