Holiday season is approaching us fast.
I do not know about you, but I am planning to completely unwind after all the last minute jobs of this week are done. And with the new lock down announced in The Netherlands yesterday, I know that finding ways to make this season special and replenishing is required more than ever.
2020 has been a year many of us will not forget for a long time. Talking to many of our clients and peers, I can sense that we are all ready to take a break.
How does unwinding and recharging look for you?
Do you pause to create conditions for it, or do you go with the flow and hope that the stars will align and you will manage to fill your time with the activities that will give you joy?
For years I was definitely in the category of the latter: just hoping for the best, very often to find that at the end of the holiday I was ready for a “break” from all the running about.
What if this time round you would have planned your break with your strengths in mind, how would that look like?
According to Gallup, using our strengths on a regular basis at work is shown to increase our energy and joy.
We are used to associating our strengths with the work we do, but in reality, they are with us all the time. And they want to be used, nourished and applied all the time in your day-to-day life just as much as in the office.
If you know that you thrive on accomplishing goals you can still make sure to incorporate that in your holiday season. Just be mindful that those goals will replenish you. Otherwise you will be risking losing yourself in accomplishing tasks that “have to be done”. You will still be looking for goals to accomplish, so might as well choose the ones that serve you.
Being a people person, this holiday season might be very different to what you are used to. No Christmas parties to attend. No new people to meet. No long, into the night, conversations to be had with your friends/colleagues/extended family.
Saying that, if you know that connection is one thing that replenishes you, then you still could focus on what can be done. Can you meet a friend for a talk while you walk? Can you make sure you pick up the phone and call a friend who really warms your heart, if you are tired of zoom meetings?
If your strengths set is all about space to think, be curious, dream about the future, then you might want to make sure you order a book today, that will feed your intellect and curiosity. Do not wait until the holiday actually starts, make sure the new friend lands to your mailbox in advance, so you are ready to go and explore.
The point here is that you need to take some time out and set the intention of how you want to spend this holiday season.
Only you really know what replenishes your energy. Only you can set boundaries that can help you to make sure you spend time doing those activities.
So often in this time of year we are so busy making sure to find the perfect gift, thoughtful card, include everyone in our greetings.
What if you paid just as much attention to the gift you want to give yourself this year? The gift of making time to do the things that uses your talents every day. Because that is a sure way to fill your heart with joy.
Dovile Corrigan is an experienced strengths coach, who works with professionals and their team to help them to do better and more off the things that they are good at. For more information e-mail to dovile@azkua.eu, or visit www.azkua.eu. You can also connect with Dovile on LinkedIn via https://www.linkedin.com/in/dovilecorrigan/