It is that time of year when things can get crazy! The busyness of the season takes over and there can be non-stop events filling our calendar to the brim. The responsibilities build up. It is easy to slip into total overwhelm. We can push ourselves to our limits by trying to get everything done before the year comes to an end. But it really doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s some practical tips on how to thrive through the end of year craziness.
To be honest, I used to hate this end of year period. I hated Christmas even more. It felt pointless and unnecessarily stressful. I felt burdened with endless responsibilities and trying to fit everything in to make sure everyone was happy. Except that would come at the cost of my own enjoyment and happiness. I just turned into a grumpy women on mission to “tick all the boxes.”
Is that really enjoyable for anyone?
We can get caught up in this madness and before we know it, we are stressed to the max, overwhelmed and feeling frustrated at just how little time we have left to get everything done. Most importantly we can completely lose the joy, fun and excitement of this time.
I wanted a different way. A way that meant I could enjoy this time. still get the important things done, and not put my mental and emotional wellbeing at stake. I want to thrive through the end of year craziness!
So I made that choice. Because it is a choice. I choose to love this time of year. Embrace it in fact. Bring more joy, laughter and lightness to this crazy time. I also choose to still get things done in my business and life that are important to me.
The result?
I have been getting to the end of the year, for many years now, way more relaxed, in great spirits and finishing the year off strong! The best thing is that I have my joy back and I’m not a grumpy Grinch with a fake smiley mask on anymore. I am truly thriving!
So, you CAN actually thrive through the end of year craziness. You can make it to Christmas without losing your sanity!
Here’s 6 ways to help you thrive through the end of year craziness
1. Get clear on your priorities
There’s going to be more than enough to do during this time … it isn’t usually a time when you are sitting there scratching your head wondering what to do!
So, it is important to get clear on what your priorities are so that they take a front seat instead of getting forgotten and ignored during the whirlwind that it can feel like at this time of year.
Take some time, even just 15 minutes, to sit down and get clear on your priorities until the end of the year. Here are some great questions to ask to help make this work best:
- What is really important to you? (remember the people in your life that you love and your health)
- How do you want to experience this time?
- What is most important for you to get done before the end of the year?
- What goals do you want to achieve? (remember to be realistic here and not overburden yourself)
- How do you want to feel come the end of the year?
Then work out a schedule that can fit these priorities into your life. That’s right, I’m suggesting scheduling these priorities into your calendar … even family time… because otherwise we can find there is no time left for the things that are most important to us.
2. Get good at saying “No” to thrive through the end of year craziness
If you are one for saying “yes” to everything then now is the time to embrace a different way, because saying “yes” to everything, especially at this time of year will lead you running around like a headless chicken. Stressed to the max and wondering why there is no time for you.
You don’t need to say yes to everything, you don’t need to attend every event or step up to every request of help. You don’t need to be a super human and do EVERYTHING! It is OK to say “no thank you” as well. Because you are worth it. Your goals, your business and your wellbeing are worth it. They don’t need to always be getting pushed to the bottom of the priorities list!
This is why getting clear on your priorities is so important. Once you are clear on your priorities and what you want to create during this time then making decisions on what to do and not do becomes so much easier. You know firstly what you can fit in and also what is important for you to be doing and not doing. Saying “no” more and not attending every event is an important part of helping to thrive through the end of year craziness.
3. Schedule in downtime to look after you
Filling up your calendar to the brim with events, functions and busyness is not going to get you to the end of the year in a good mental, emotional or physical state. If you want to end the year feeling good, then it is important to look after yourself as well. Have downtime to relax, have fun and recharge your energy tanks.
Keep up your wellbeing practices whatever they be for you; exercise, meditation, yoga, journaling, getting enough sleep etc.
So often our wellbeing practices are the first thing that we cut out when we are busy and stressed. But actually they are the MOST important things to keep in order to thrive through the end of year craziness.
These practices are going to make the biggest difference to help you get through this time with more ease and flow.
You are important as well and if you are only getting caught up in the busyness of the season you risk burnout or getting sick because you are not taking care of yourself. Make yourself a priority.
4. Delete what you don’t need to do
This is in line with saying no, but more about taking the pressure off ourselves to get everything done that we want. It can be easy to write down a massive list of everything we WANT to get done before the end of the year and think we can achieve it… and we probably can… but at what cost?
It is great to push ourselves and strive for excellence, or to hit epic goals. Just make sure you are not creating an unachievable list or doing damage to your health and relationships in the process of achieving so much. This can also be a nasty self-sabotaging trap that lots of us fall into.
Delete things from your list that are just not that important, and don’t weigh yourself down with massive responsibility to get everything done. Recognise what is truly important to you and what really needs to be done and delete the rest off your list.
5. Delegate what you can to thrive through the end of year craziness
This is important, you don’t need to do everything yourself and you don’t need to control everything. You are still worthy, deserving and valuable even when you get other people to help with the things that need to be done. It is ok to ask for help and it is ok to delegate tasks to others.
Delegate some of the stuff you need to do. Get other people on board to help out to get everything done… it may even lead to better, deeper relationships and a greater sense of connection in your life.
6. Take Focused Action
When you are getting everything done, make sure it is focused action. Remove the distractions around you that will take your focus away as much as possible while you are in action. Instead of “pushing through” all the time and wasting a huge amount of time and energy being unproductive, take some real breaks and then come back to the tasks with more focus, clarity and determination.
A good strategy is to plan your day the day before. Either in the afternoon or at night. Choose 1-3 important tasks that need to be done the next day. The important tasks are tasks that are going to make the biggest impact on moving you towards the goals or outcome you want to achieve. These important tasks are often ones that we will resist more and put off. That’s why it is important to do them first. Before distractions and urgent matters come up. If you get your important tasks done in the morning, you will make the most possible progress in hitting those goals that are meaningful to you.
Also, when you are taking focused action you are more productive, and you can get huge amounts done in a small amount of time…. Freeing up more time and space for downtime, fun and looking after you. Ultimately helping you to thrive through the end of year craziness!
Final tip
As well as those 6 ways to thrive through the end of year craziness, I want to leave you with this final tip. It is all about bringing more awareness to this time of year.
- Why is it that we put ourselves through this massive stress every year?
- Is it actually achieving what we want to achieve?
- Are we creating what is important and meaningful to us?
- And are we forgetting about what is truly important to us and ignoring it in the process?
- Are we forgetting this is supposed to be a fun, magical and enjoyable time of year?
I encourage you to bring more awareness to your actions at this time of year. That way it is going to be so much easier to thrive through the end of the year craziness with more ease and flow… and still have a smile on your face when it is over.
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