How Entrepreneurs Must Use December to be Successful in 2024
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
As we enter December, the energy for reflection is upon us. For those who follow the Jan-Dec calendar, this is the time of year when work slows down and people take time to rest as the seasonal holidays kick in.
However, for an entrepreneur, it can feel like nothing is stopping. There are always items on the to-do list, people to talk to, and products to sell. So frankly it isn’t going to stop naturally (nor are you).
But what I’m telling you, is that you need to stop, rest and reflect.
And if you don’t make sure you stop, you will face the inevitable crash either at the end of the year or in the first few months of the next. Rest is essential to life as an entrepreneur.
So by harnessing the reflective energy in the air, you can both take the time to rest and reconnect with your loved ones, whilst rebuilding your energy and gaining clarity for the year to come.
What does stopping look like for us entrepreneurs?
Bracing yourself for a comedown → As an entrepreneur, you’ve most likely been running on 150% most of the year, full of coffee and now as you begin to take your foot off the gas, your body and mind will most likely crash to somewhere under 30%. Prepare to feel restless and/or sick.
Planning a few days off before you meet family → The holiday season often brings family to town, so it's key to ensure you plan to stop a few days before they do arrive. This helps manage the comedown better, as you will need rest, but also helps you mentally and physically prepare for their arrival. So you can enjoy your time with them more.
Taking a few days to yourself post-holiday→ This is time just for yourself. To do something you love. Something which reminds you, you are a person with needs as well as what you are to everyone else. Schedule a day for yourself i.e. a massage or treatment, go for an adventure or a hike, or spend some quiet time at a bookstore or a coffee shop. Take the time to re-center before the new year comes running at you.
Why is it so important to slow down as a leader?
It can be scary to stop when you’re fresh, you might even think you won’t re-start if you do. Your mind telling you that you’re the leader, and you have to keep the business going. That a few weeks off can harm the business significantly.
Well, something which is often not talked about is how much your emotions and mental health can affect the business too. That if you don’t take care of yourself in this way, then it will cause more harm to the business.
It’s the greatest lesson in mental health management as a leader to regularly take a reality check. To take time to pause. You can’t operate 100% of the time and when you hit the gas again you need to be fully charged. Embrace this time as a gift and a tool you can use to become a better entrepreneur and leader.
It can be hard to disconnect from work, so here are my go-to ideas for the holidays.
Top tips for reconnecting with the real world:
Be as present as you can be with your family → Try to ask questions and make sure it’s not about you. I often adopt the tactic that when they ask about me, I instead spin their question immediately back and ask about them. This allows you to remind them you care about their life, as well as help you control any irritation you might feel with the small talk because as someone operating on a high level, often this small talk can feel inane. Try to discover something new about your family in every conversation.
Give more → You’ve spent the whole year focused on your dream and life. With very little time and energy to donate to others. Do something physical to give to others, such as dropping off food at a food bank, or volunteering in a food kitchen. This will help reconnect you to the people in the world and your humanity.
Look around and be aware → Take time to reflect on the real world. People come out of isolation in the holiday season, with city centers being busier and fuller. Take it all in. It’s a reflection of the world that’s happening, so use it to re-align with the pace of the non-entrepreneurial world. The people you’re most likely trying to help with your business. Stay connected, and more balanced.
Take your batteries out → Your year was most likely full of technology, whether you are in tech or not. So make the most of the downtime by disconnecting from it. Leave your devices alone, and focus on your small world of people, animals, and nature. Most importantly respect other people who disconnect too. Don’t text others, i.e. employees and even wider connections. Just allow people to let go and be.
Let go of the guilt of the decisions you had to make in 2023 → Process the sadness for those choices you made this year, as well as the ghosts of the people who are gone. As a leader, you never want to let people down, but it doesn’t always work out that way. So allow the time to process and release your feelings. They’re important too. Let go of what you couldn’t achieve, feel what you couldn’t feel when things were hectic, and send them all the love and light you can.
Finally, open your calendar right now and pick one week per quarter to book off as vacation. Make 2024 the year to enjoy your journey and life as an entrepreneur. Use it to create regular times to reflect and disconnect. Make it a sacred time, non-negotiable. You’ll thank me come holiday season 2024, I promise.
So I hope you enjoy the holiday season and remember to give yourself the gift of planning your time off for 2024.
Happy Holidays!!
