At some point in my childhood, I noticed that by late afternoon on Sundays, the carefree fun of the weekend would simply disappear, replaced by butterflies in my stomach that signaled a brand new week was about to begin—a week for which I had done nothing to prepare. A Monday morning which would be a miserable scramble to get myself and my stuff together and off to school—usually late and with mismatched socks. It was a lousy way to start the week. Even worse, I had to suffer the pre-traumatic-stress syndrome of a lousy week before it had even started. While I hated to spend a minute of my precious weekend time readying myself for the week ahead, I hated the alternative even more.
Like Sundays, December has been served up as a time when we have an inalienable right to shop, hang out, and party. While it is a great time to kick back and coast, it’s also a golden opportunity to prepare to hit the ground running in the new year. If you make use of your down time in December, you will not only wake up in January feeling focused, in control, and ready to zoom right out of the gate, you will radically increase your chances of success in 2009.
Consider elevating these to the top of your list of December goals:
- Clean up
- Rest up
- Gear up
Clean up your stuff.
Have you noticed that stuff comes at us at an alarming rate these days? So as the year draws to a close, you will likely find that you’ve collected a ton of paper as well as a slew of electronic clutter on your computer and sundry handheld devices. December is the time to weed through it so that you can feel the joy of being on top of your stuff, not buried by it. Nothing like having clean, never-used file folders at the ready to evoke the sweet memory of a brand new pencil-box! And while you’re at it, why not get rid of some of the other stuff you’ve amassed—clothing, furniture, tchotkes of every conceivable stripe. In the spirit of giving, consider handing your stuff over to an organization that will get it to people who can actually use it!
If you’re on board conceptually, but the thought of actually doing this makes you feel lightheaded, start small. Do a manageable chunk, something you can start and finish in one sitting—for example, clean out five folders or re-arrange a drawer. If you’re not naturally drawn to the organizational arts, consider the following to help keep you honest:
- Make an appointment to do it. Yes, literally, put it on your calendar. This is every bit as important as getting highlights at the salon, isn’t it?
- Tell a friend that you are committed to doing this and ask her/him to hold you accountable. The peer pressure thing never goes out of style.
- Give yourself rewards for your progress. Even if you don’t believe you deserve them, getting them will simply make you more effective.
Recharge your battery.
It’s easy to find yourself schlepping from one December celebration to the next, eating and drinking with abandon, mistaking fun for relaxation. Be mindful of using your time this month to interrupt your routine in ways that will restore your energy and strength.
- Take time out to rest your body. Get some sleep. I’m not a healthcare professional, but I don’t believe it’s possible to overdose on this.
- Do something different. It can be anything from driving a different route to your mother’s house to taking your first, good old-fashioned bungie jump. Nothing quite like shaking things up to give you a fresh perspective and a boost of energy.
- Feed your head and your spirit. Take time for music, art, yoga, a Sudoku puzzle—whatever exercises your brain and nourishes your soul.
