Today, it’s back to “business as usual”!  I always find it difficult to ‘re-enter’ after any time off.  So I’ve learned to use holiday ‘down’ periods as time to get things I wouldn’t usually get done - done!  Fewer emails to respond to (usually, but there are others of us who use holiday down times in the same manner); little or no business calls, etc., etc.!

However, those of us in start-up mode or the early days/years of a new business don’t really have a 9-5 - 5 days a week mentality.  We tend to work at all odd hours to get the job done.  I find myself working the weekend, preparing things that are exceedingly time consuming for the week ahead.

Is there ever ‘down time’ for those of us who have transitioned and are now traveling a new road of venture and adventure?

Well, depends on our personalities, behaviorial styles, bio-rhythms, etc.  Some of us still apply our old 9 - 5 style to a new venture, regardless of where our ‘office’ is located!  Others of us find the demands and challenges of launching, building, growing and maintaining,  part of the excitement of the 2nd half of the journey!  So we work at it all the time!  If not physcially - then mentally!  Doing the head-planning (strategic design I call it) that is so key to getting the dream or vision we have off the ground.  Even more key once we’ve  left the ‘launch pad’!

If you’re like me, you find it difficult to focus on anything else until what you’ve planned or launched is where you have designed it to be.

Some months ago I did a series here on the 7 arenas of life and talked of the importance of balance in our life.  And that includes our business or professional life, especially.  That’s easy for me to say - but much more difficult for me to live out.  It’s just my ‘nature’ to get a targeted focus and go after it as my Mom used to say, “like she’s killing snakes”.

That approach ‘ain’t great’ (excuse my use of the vernacular)!  It blops us out of balance.  It makes me irritable when others upon whom I depend to do their part, don’t do it according to my timeframe or otherwise in timely manner so I don’t get stressed out because I don’t have answers or have a clue what’s happening.

Tomorrow I’m going to begin talking about ‘mentoring’.  It’s something we’ve promised to be a part of AWP and it’s an important tool for us to have in our “essential business tool bag”!  So let me suggest this:

1) begin now, before the end of this year and before nailing down strategic plans for next year, to look honestly at your own behaviorial style.  Especially when it comes to transacting on behalf of your business or professional life,

2)begin looking for a mentor or two.  One place to look is among your fellow AWP members.  If you don’t know how to do that, watch this week’s newsletter to learn how,

3)look carefully at the calendar for the month of December.  We all know that things pretty much ’shut down’ the week before the holiday (Christmas and Hannukah - my apologies to our Jewish friends if I misspelled).  Schedule your down time now and write it on your calendar.  Notify business associates and connections that you won’t be available on such and such a day or “from this date to . . . . “.  Yes, you can use your email auto away message, but telling our closest associates and connections ahead of time is a courtesy they’ll appreciate,

4) remember that the end of the year holidays are one of the most stressful periods of our lives (or so the experts tell us).  Prior planning, especially when it comes to business and professional life ends up costing us less in emotional and mental dis-ease and keeps our internal clock running smoothly.

The tree is up, but decorations still strewn about waiting for g’son (who lost out on decorating the tree) to come get his chance to help g’ma! 

Now that’s a real stressor that I should have avoided.  The season’s not started all that smoothly.  Best take my own advice and plan now so the voice doesn’t go up several decibels and the stomach doesn’t churn!

FYI - look for a conversation later today from Carine Nadels, an AWP member from the west coast.  Carine is an accomplished writer who submits for Woman’s Day and Ladies Home Journal (quite impressive I might add).  She’ll be sharing some of her best recipes that got her such impressive bylines.  Welcome Carine!

Have an awesome day!

  Linda