Have a white Christmas!

We are in full Silly Season mode;  the home stretch to Christmas and the panic is starting to rise in your chest.  In just three weeks I have to do exactly one zillion things – no I’m not exaggerating!

Get as much done as possible before end of term, deals to be signed off before the office closes for the year (even though no one is going to do anything with it over the break it HAS to get done).  Office parties, division parties, catch up with the girlfriends, visit everyone you’ve met ever to wish them a Merry Christmas.  Where are we having Christmas lunch, does everyone know.  Kris Kringles or gifts for everyone – do I need to keep going?

No, I’m sure I don’t and my words are a not so welcome reminder of everything we are trying to jam into a very short space of time.

We want to ‘fill’ every last moment.  In fact if we see a gap in our diary we want to fill it immediately – it is an opportunity to give ourselves even more things to do.

I recently heard someone say that we have a “fear of white space’,  meaning we fear having clear space in our schedule.  We feel obliged to fill every waking moment with SOMETHING.  By being in a constant state of busy we believe that equals ‘productive’.

Saying yes to every opportunity is filling the white space in our diary.  God-Forbid we allow ourselves and quiet time!

If you read my article on “The Power of No” you will understand how powerful a ‘no’ can be with the added bonus of some white space.

So why don’t you give yourself a white Christmas worth having?  Leave plenty of white space in your schedule over the holidays.