adminmanic panic to get everything done before then.
In businesses around the country there is a scurry to pay staff, scrape together bonuses, try get the accounts up to date before the year end, and make that all-important tax payment.
All, of course, while getting final orders out and dealing with the flow of clients wanting last-minute services, such is the effect of the holiday season and the artificial break in the continuity of a business that we call “year end”.
As stress levels rise there is a degree of uncertainty about the season of “goodwill”.
Much has been said about the over-commercialisation of what is essentially a religious festival. There is a sense of irony that more money changes hands at a time of year that celebrates the birth of a child in a stable (as opposed to the comfort of the hotel around the corner where there was no room).
But no I am not going to suggest that we do away with the lights and tinsel, for me Christmas is not the same without the tree, decorations, food and presents (all of which require an exchange of money to procure).
At a time that is potentially stressful though there are a few truths to remember that may make your year end richer.
Remember the bigger picture.
For Christianity, Christmas is meaningless without the bigger picture of Easter.
Remember why you do business, remember why you work.
Not just the financial benefits but the benefits you are bringing to your clients. Picture the most amazing client reaction you have had this year; focus on their elation, their glowing feedback, their approval at what you have done for them. Now there is a pretty good reason to go to work everyday.
Be grateful. Take time to thank people for what they have done for you over the last 12 months. Be specific where you can rather than just the cliche “Thanks and Happy New Year”.
Thank your suppliers, thank your clients, thank your mentors, thank your bank manager, thank your lawyer. Send cards, emails, letters, and whatever it takes to get the word across. Take time to give this festive season. The wise men brought gifts.
There is something about the act of giving from the heart that creates a sense of well-being that cannot be compensated for any other way.
Give with the right attitude. The whole point of giving a gift is that a gift is given expecting nothing in return.
Gifts are not an IOU or a demand for reciprocity. If you cut people from your gift list because they never give you anything back perhaps you need to check your reason for giving in the first place. Including a gift with a thank you is a wonderful gesture.
Spend time with your family.
What does it profit you to have a phenomenal bank balance because you work 18 hours a day yet go home to family you hardly know?
Spend time with your wife, your kids and your parents. Engage with them, have fun with them, build with them.
Have fun. Throw a party, listen to music, dance the night away, go out for a movie on the big screen (yes, we can do that in Zimbabwe with up-to-date films — bring on The Hobbit). I don’t care what your idea of fun is but do something positive. Climb a hill to watch the sunset, dance with your kids in the rain, whatever. Create a memory with people you love!
Look ahead to next year. Unless the Mayans were right 2013 looks set to begin right on schedule. Set aside a little time to prioritise your January.
Most big strategic planning should have been done by now, most budgets are probably in order so one hopes that this is just fine tuning. Take all the positive energy of celebration that is going on and channel it into some thinking about the New Year.
Now imagine if we could have Christmas all year long. Not necessarily the massive meals and decorations all the time (there is only so much turkey a man can eat) but the joy and laughter and positiveness.
What if your workplace was filled with gratitude, fun and a focus on a vision that extends beyond the bottom line? What if the expectation of the future was one filled with the excitement of the future? Christmas brings out a lot of good in mankind; it is however often short lived.
The first Christmas Day during the First World War saw a soccer match between the Germans and the English among the trenches; the next day they went back to shooting each other to pieces. The ideas in this column are not just applicable for the next two weeks, but can be ingrained into an entire life. Use the next two weeks as practice and see what happens.
Have a Wonderful Christmas everyone!
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