It's coming to the end of the year and a time when many people celebrate religious holidays like Christmas or Hanukah, New Year's, or Festivals of Lights. Even if you aren't religious you probably celebrate Christmas with gift giving or a family gathering and a large meal. When we were younger these celebrations filled our imaginations and our minds with wonder. However as we grow older, we become more cynical, tired and plain ol' grumpy! Not only are we like this with our families but we are like this with our work and businesses. Yet what are we missing by rushing through the holidays and celebrations and skipping the festivities?
I can remember when I was a child, Christmas was a big event. Not only did it have religious significance in our family, but we spent 4 weeks preparing for the big day and the birth of Jesus. I couldn't wait to get up on Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought. As a child I didn't see the work my mother put into Christmas preparations preparing or the cost of gifts that my father worked hard to provide. What I do remember is the food, the gifts and the visitors that came for dinner. For days after Christmas, we spent hours lazing around playing board games and sledding in the snow.
Those were days where the wonder of Christmas seemed to drift on forever and the spell was only broken when we had to return to school and the mundane tasks of ordinary life. But ordinary life can take over if we let it. Days can run into weeks without fun, games, feasts and friends. If you are in retail at this time of year, I guarantee you are tired. I know from 30 years of retail experience that exhaustion can set in from the long hours, long lines and cranky customers. So often in every business we get to the end of the year and we are tired of thinking about the work. We can become weary of people, and sometimes we see the holidays as a waste of time, money, and energy. We see them as a burden of awkwardness around bonuses, and gifts, small talk and staff parties. What if you were to see it through a child's eyes again? Could you take a few minutes each day to look forward to some time off and dream up a few ideas about what you would like to do?
What would happen if you didn't have preconceived notions about what was going to happen this Christmas? Imagine how much fun you could have if you didn't think about what Uncle Albert was going to say when he had a few drinks or how you hate staff parties? That negative thinking isn't going to make things better and you know it. Celebrations can infuse our body with energy and leave us feeling rejuvenated if we let them. We can take the time to spend enjoying our family and friends if we put our minds to it. Looking for the good in others, and considering the deeper meaning of the seasons can be reinvigorating to our spirits. Consider all the great things that did happen to you this year that you might want to celebrate; the great staff you work with; the fact that your customers keep coming back; those suppliers that have become friends. And don't forget about your family who support you despite your grumpiness, tiredness, and excesses and those friends who know nothing about your job but want to spend time with you! This year at Christmas take some time without rushing through the holidays to let your thoughts be diverted from the burdens of work to the joyfulness of the season. Let your mind be rested with extra sleep and the pleasurable distractions that you have missed throughout the past year. Enjoy your family and friends because this time next year there may be less of them. Try for even a few minutes to remember what it was like when you were a child again when you were surprised by joy.
Dave Fuller, MBA, is an award winning business coach and the author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Fuller will celebrate if you email him at [email protected]
