5 Things Entrepreneurs Should Focus on During the Holidays Entrepreneurs should use the holidays to reset, reflect and create community within their company. Here are five ways to seize the opportunities of the season.
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While food, sports, and tradition are wonderful parts of the holiday season, it's also a very convenient time to take a pause, create special moments with loved ones, and reset. Doing so can pay large dividends to your business, because a well-rested entrepreneur is one who can tackle the new year with renewed vigor and focus.
Here are five things all entrepreneurs should focus on during the holidays.
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Practice gratitude
The holiday season is a perfect time to set aside many of the pressures of building your own business and practice gratitude for what you already have. Our society pressures us to always keep striving for more and more. As an entrepreneur, this pressure can be even more intense as you are expected to constantly grow your company.
While this pressure can lead to success, it's also important to be grateful for all that you already have. Use your free time during the holidays to think about what you have accomplished and take stock of everything in your life that you can be grateful for.
While it's easier said than done in our consumerist society, particularly during the holidays, try not to focus so much on material possessions or gifts. The holidays should be about your relationships with family and loved ones. The best gift you can give yourself and the ones around you is to spend quality time with them. Your family, or the ones you spend your holidays with, might not be perfect, but they never will be. Focus on the good instead of the bad, both to recharge yourself and to practice a glass half full approach to life.
With that being said, for many, family settings are not exactly relaxing and may not fill up your cup. Spend time during the holidays with people who truly help you recharge, whether that is your chosen family or blood relatives.
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Reflect on what you have learned this year
When the holidays roll around, try to reflect on how much you have already accomplished, rather than focusing on the mounting tasks that await you in the new year. The path of an entrepreneur is rarely easy or frictionless. During the holidays, try to remember all of the things that have worked out in your favor so far and congratulate yourself for all that you have accomplished.
Although the end of the calendar year is a good time to reflect on your past, be careful not to spend too much time dwelling on the bad. Instead think about the obstacles you have overcome and the lessons you have learned. Aim to strike a balance between living in the moment, reflecting on the past, and planning for the future.
Related: 6 Ways to Keep Employees Engaged During the Holiday Season
Be vulnerable with employees
The holidays can be a great opportunity to be vulnerable with the people you work with. As the leader of your business, opening up and being vulnerable with team members goes a long way toward building a culture of trust within the company. Use the holidays as an excuse to begin an open conversation with workers. Consider opening up to them by sharing some of your own insecurities or shortcomings and expressing appreciation for all your employees do.
Leading by example, you can begin an honest conversation within your company and create stronger bonds between you and team members. Express your gratitude for the progress they've made and ask for sincere feedback about how to make the company a better place to work.
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Maintain healthy habits
Stay healthy. It's easy to be gluttonous over the holidays. While it's good to treat yourself from time to time, be mindful about what's actually going to make you happy and feel good. Try to indulge thoughtfully and with balance.
During the holidays your normal routine may be disrupted, but don't throw all of your hard-fought healthy habits out the window as soon as Halloween is over. Even when traveling or spending time with your family, continue to find ways to get outside, practice yoga, meditate, take time alone, or whatever strategies you've developed that keep you feeling recharged and at peace.
Your primary goal should always be maintaining a positive head space. Don't let all of the holiday distractions change this objective.
Build holiday traditions
Create new company traditions. That may mean hosting holiday parties, planning a company retreat, distributing bonuses, or organizing gift exchanges at work. Welcome feedback from your employees about the ways they like to celebrate the holidays and incorporate those into your company's holiday activities.
Don't be afraid to switch things up. If your established holiday party is already an event that is talked about year-round, stick with it. However, maybe white elephant or gift exchange parties create more stress for your team than fun memories. Perhaps your employees would simply prefer a bonus rather than a lavish party.
Just because you have longstanding holiday traditions at your company doesn't mean you must continue to have them in the future. Evaluate what traditions actually bring joy and add value to your business and adapt your practices accordingly.
Related: How Your Business Can Benefit from Less Travel This Winter
