The Holidays are Here... Try Not to Overdue It!

"The first rule of holes: if you find yourself in one, stop digging."
- Jack Dane

When I first read this quote, it reminded me of the blog I wrote How's Your Horse Doing because of the seemingly obvious message of "If your horse dies, get off." This quote also states what may seem obvious, but I attest again that the challenge is knowing when you're digging a hole to begin with!

I talk a lot about balance of your professional and personal life, and in order to have that, you must keep balance throughout most of what you do - which includes the holidays! The holidays are often a struggle for most, whether it be diet, time management, money, stress levels, etc., and can lead to a rather lopsided approach regarding your priorities. Even worse, it can lead to not enjoying the very holiday that you may look forward to all year! By trying to do everything you normally do, on top of all the new things that the holidays may spring on you, you can quickly dig yourself a holiday hole that may take you months to get out of!

So what's the trick to not getting yourself in a hole before realizing you're digging one? Planning ahead! In just about any scenario where you get off balance, or you let something get out of control, a little bit of planning could have prepared you for what you're about to encounter. For instance, you can try making a conscious effort to only allow yourself one holiday treat and giving the rest away to share with your friends, family or colleagues. Or, you can try to not leave all of your shopping and shipping to the last week while trying to fight the lines of everyone else who may not have planned ahead. This sudden rush of responsibility will surely tip your scale of balance!

Believe me... I'm not exempt from this list, and I write this from personal experience. What I've realized, however, is that it's difficult in life and in business to wear too many hats at any one given time, and it's important to consider ways to spread out your responsibilities to help make the most of it. By planning ahead, you can consider ways to spread out those responsibilities by either outsourcing your needs, asking for help from those around you, or simply by not trying to do too much at once and spreading it out over a period of time.

Enjoy the holidays - there are very few of them each year and it's important to embrace them when you have the opportunity!