In this holiday season, as busy as it gets, what can we do to still achieve success? Be flexible. From all the big projects I’ve done with clients one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of having flexibility. Sometimes that flexibility looks like Plans A-Z (with at least A-C clearly outlined), while sometimes that just looks like allowing extra time so that no one ends up rushed or pushed or “late” (because if the time is flexible you won’t be getting frustrated when they’re not as early as you hoped they would be). Does flexible mean that some things just don’t get done? Yes, because if you have to be flexible it may mean that certain things won’t fit into the new spaces you’ve got in your schedule. But more often than not flexibility means that not only do you get what needs to done and you get to do more, you do it all with less stress.
In the holiday season maybe it means that decorations aren’t up and presents aren’t bought as soon as you might like. Maybe it means that you even have to push some gatherings into the week or weeks after Christmas. Maybe it means holiday cards aren’t sent out as soon as you had hoped, or that you’re baking cookies on Christmas Day because you love baking cookies more than the need to get them done by a certain deadline. Maybe you don’t get to celebrate with the whole family at one time but with a little flexibility you’re able to celebrate with everyone by the end of the month.
What I want you to take with you into this month is first, that you don’t have to give up on regular success efforts and projects because of the holidays, you just may have to be more flexible about when and how much of them gets done. Second, flexibility may be the secret weapon to having a holiday season you truly enjoy even if you pack a whole lot into it. Finally, the essential aspect of flexibility is patience, something that will serve you well through this month as well as into the new year as you reestablish your post-holiday life. Being patient with yourself and others may be the best gift you can give or receive.