It’s that time of the year. We are facing Christmas and hopefully a well-earned holiday break through to the New Year. And as December dawns, we usually tend to look both backward and forward, reflect on what has happened and wonder about all that’s yet to come.
Without doubt, I guess you can proudly leave a year of hard work behind, now all set for equally rewarding yourself. As for me, I will definitely do so. Let me share some thoughts on how I plan to get the best out of the rest of this year. They might work well for you, too.
Put your 2018 resolutions into practice already today
To start with the obvious one: being full of good intentions for the upcoming year. If you have set yourself resolutions for 2018, do not wait to get started with them until January 1 but do them right away.
I personally have never been the biggest fan of resolutions because I think it is just a great relief to already start into 2018 without that full list of untouched “to dos”.
If you plan to strive for your first half marathon record, for example, grab your running shoes and get started right away. Don’t worry in case you “start to have some crazy voices in your head”, because you most probably will “learn to love them”, just as my colleague did when training to achieve his sub-3 marathon goal. I will for sure think of his words while getting in shape for my first long-distance run on New Year’s Eve.
Ease your way of working by considering which things you don’t necessarily have to do
For those who still want to pursue some kind of “to dos” – there is one thing I have learned from my colleague that I think can really make our lives easier.
Don’t only think about what things you should start in 2018, also think about what parts of your work you should stop doing.
Probably the best way to come up with a solution to that is to ask ourselves questions such as: “What am I actually measured upon?” To get some more inspirational tips on how to succeed in your professional year 2018, you might be interested in having a look at that post: Six career planning tips for a new year.
Free yourself from technology
Try a different kind of diet: There’s nothing wrong with having a technology-free day. There are quite a few studies out there proving that technology can be a burden at times, leading to unwanted and unnecessary stress. And while during usual business days I mostly cannot avoid using some form of technological functionality, I will use this holiday to break up with technology for a day and get rid of the rapid pace social media channels are sometimes squeezing me into. Be it ten minutes, two hours or even an entire day – I will make this holiday my first one where I take a rigid IT break for a certain time. I guess that physical distance from our technologic devices alone might already help a lot.
What winter is actually made for: running in the cold
Talking about diet – winter breaks are usually not the most appropriate ones that invite us to strictly follow any form of demanding nutrition plan but I still think we should enjoy all the Christmas goodies to the fullest. To do so without regret I will take out my Boost shoes on Christmas Eve, get out for an energizing run and return fully vitalized for a long night of being merry. To be honest, what’s better than spending some time outside in the icy, crystal-clear winter air? Hard to guess that here talks someone who sincerely loves to run in winter. But trust me: after a proper winter run you will be rewarded with one of the best feelings you can have, and one that you will benefit quite a while after the actual run.
Learn something new that accompanies you throughout 2018
In addition, you might also want to spice up your break by setting yourself a mission for this holiday such as learning or creating something you can benefit from throughout 2018. Be it finetuning your skills in cooking (which is what I will strive for), rearranging your apartment or succeeding in starting a new sport that you always had on your list but had little time for while running through a busy business week.
New countries, new impressions
But maybe you have also decided – just as many of my colleagues here in Herzo who come from places all over the world – to reward yourself for a year of hard work by embracing a (long-distance) trip. Lucky you! Enjoy all the international Christmas or New Year’s traditions and do not forget to take your impressions with you back to work to inspire your colleagues in the New Year. While I will enjoy some winter sunbeams in Argentina, I will definitely curiously listen to all my colleagues’ experiences of celebrating New Year in various places around the world.
Forget about alarm clocks and meeting arrangements
One of the signs that make me realize I am on holiday is waking up without an alarm clock. So last but not least, why shouldn’t we try to get through this winter break with as few fixed dates as possible. Even if this winter break is perfectly suited to catching up with friends and to breaking many “long time no talks”, it might also pay off to intentionally not make any arrangements for a day or so.
Whatever you feel like doing in this holiday season, and be it simply enjoying as much quality time as possible with your family and beloved ones, I hope you have a splendid one. Oh and by the way: if you still need any Christmas gifts, check out the sporty ideas my colleague can recommend you.
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