How to navigate the busy-ness of the holidays

Crazy to think this is my last post of 2018, but I plan on taking some much needed time UNPLUGGED. I mean, as much as you can when you help run other people’s businesses. But, my goal over the holiday is to spend some much needed time focused on my family and just enjoying life in general. I hope you take the time to do the same!Speaking of the holidays, I wanted to chat with you briefly about how to stay focused on your goals throughout this busy season. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have been EXTRA busy this year during the holiday season. Of course, our client load at The Biz Runners has filled up quite a bit, and since we primarily focus on health + fitness coaches, you can imagine the urgency for getting things done prior to the start of the new year.All that busy-ness has really thrown me for a loop and I’m feeling a bit more overwhelmed + stressed than I’d like (or care to admit). And as an Enneagram 9, when things get overwhelming, I tend to shut down. I feel that it is SO important to know your reactions for your personality type (which is why the Enneagram is so powerful) so that you can be PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE when you are faced with a challenge.I know many of you are probably feeling more overwhelmed that usual (or than you care to admit) this time of year, so I wanted to share my tips for staying grounded + focused on your personal (business or fitness) goals this busy time of year.1. Determine your priorities and set deadlines for when they need to be done.I don’t think I can talk about this enough. I know I say this A LOT but you absolutely, 100% need to set priorities each day, each week, and each month. What are the most important things that need to get done today, or this week, or this month?My to-do list is a mile long at this point. Honestly, I’ve almost run out of room for everything that needs to be done. And I CANNOT get it all done in one day, or even on month if I’m being honest with myself. So, at the beginning of the week, I sit down and write down EVERYTHING that needs to get done by the end of the month. Every single thing goes on my to-do list.Overwhelmed yet?!The next thing I do is set DEADLINES for when each of those things needs to get done. Some will definitely need to get done sooner rather than later, but this process helps me to start weeding through where to get started (because, really, isn’t that the hardest part?!).Once I’ve looked at my to-do list for the month + have those deadlines, I start figuring out what needs to be done THIS WEEK and then assigning them to the days of the week when I know I can get them done. For example, I have client work that is due on Friday, but I also have 2 kids’ school Christmas parties that I am helping out at, so waiting until Friday is probably NOT a good idea. So, I make sure I put that early in the week so I get it done WELL before then.This isn’t just a good practice during the holidays though - this is a good monthly, weekly, and daily process to go through. And the best part?! GETTING TO CROSS IT OFF WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED!2. Spend some time on YOU.I know that sounds super selfish, but when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, you stop losing focus on you because of ALL the things that need to get done.You know that feeling you get after you have just finished an hour long massage? What if you take 10, 20, or 30 minutes once a week just for YOU?! You don’t have to go get a massage - you can do something simple at home.My favorite self-care routine is Wednesday nights… I take a bath if I have time (usually I don’t), but I unplug after the kids go to bed, slap on a face + hair mask, and sit and relax. Sometimes I read if I want, or if I’m in the bath, I close my eyes and just spend time doing NOTHING.Don’t forget to spend some time of you - you gotta get rid of that stress somehow! And if you’re setting your priorities, you’ll actually have TIME to treat yo’self!3. SAY NO.I got to the point about 2 weeks ago where I didn’t know if there was even a way I could do everything I needed to get done. I had already asked for help and set my priorities, but I was feeling like my mile-long to-do list was never ever going to get done. Which meant missing client deadlines or dropping the ball somewhere, and I’m not OK with that. (Side note: I AM human. I have missed deadlines. I have dropped the ball. It comes with the territory.) But, you get to a point where you know if you take on one more thing, there is just no way it’s all going to get done.I’m going to give you a powerful word to add to your vocabulary…NO.As women, we want to help + serve people the best ways we can. But, guess what? Sometimes, the best thing we can do is say no. You will hit a limit and instead of taking something on and disappointing someone, it’s better to tell them that in good faith, you just can’t. That might mean saying no to going to a holiday party. Or to a task someone wants you to do. Or helping out at the class Christmas party.And it’s OK. Give yourself permission to say NO to things that aren’t going to serve you or you can’t give your full attention to.I hope this gives you some guidance to how to navigate the busy-ness of this season, but I’d LOVE to know - How do you stay grounded during this busy time of year?