Rest, Reflect, Reset
The end of the year is just a stone’s throw away, and the holiday season is reaching its crescendo. If you’re like me, you’re sprinting to the finish line at work and counting the days till you can shut down until January. Or maybe you’ve already done that. If so, consider yourself lucky.
One of the things I’ve always treasured about the holiday season (apart from the time with family and friends) is that it’s the one time of the year where the pace of the world truly slows. You can take a week off – or maybe even two – without dreading that you’ll come back to hundreds of emails in your inbox and a bunch of issues that needed to be fixed yesterday. Getting this time at the end of the year is a luxury, and over the years I’ve gotten more deliberate about how I use it.
Back when I was traveling weekly for work, the last thing I wanted to do was get on a plane or in a car to travel somewhere over the holidays, so over the years, we’ve largely celebrated at home. As our kids have become adults and we’ve dialed down the gift-giving, the frenzy leading up to the holidays has also lessened. For us, the holidays have become more just about time together, and I really value that.
Being deliberate about my end-of-year downtime is also about making time to?rest, reflect,?and?reset. I know that once the calendar turns to January again, it will be a quick acceleration back to the normal (crazy) pace of work. So I want to make sure that I re-charge my battery, take stock, and think about what I want from the year ahead.
Rest can take many forms, depending on your preference: playing with the kids, sleeping in extra late or taking an afternoon nap (or both!), curling up with a good book, watching a movie, enjoying hobbies, exercising, going for long walks, or any number of other things. At the top of my list this year are sleep and exercise, but whatever your chosen form of rest, commit to it, use your time accordingly, and don't let your schedule get overly packed. You only get the ‘down time’ of the holidays once a year, so make sure you use it well.
As you’re re-charging your battery, take some time to reflect on the year that’s just finishing. What went well? What could have gone better? What do you want to do more or less of? What changes would make you happier and more fulfilled professionally and personally? What baggage do you need to shed? You can reflect on your own – by journaling for example?–?or you can ‘think out loud’ with others who are willing to help with your reflection. Whatever works best for you, come away with some type of summary of the year – the highlights, the lowlights, and the changes you want to make.
And, finally, reset. Resetting is about making a plan but it's also about getting clear on how you’re going to execute it. Most New Year’s resolutions fail because the ‘how’ doesn’t get enough consideration, so the changes you’re seeking to make don’t get ingrained as habits. It takes something like three weeks of daily change to embed a new routine, so don’t expect things to change on Day 1 or Week 1. If you’re looking for help on making changes to your routine, pick up James Clear’s?Atomic Habits. It has fantastic practical advice on how to build desired habits and shed undesired ones.
So, as you settle in for the holiday break, remember to rest, reflect, and reset.
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This is our last newsletter for 2024, and all of the PathWise team want to thank you for being part of our community. More and more of you have joined as members, followed us on social media, subscribed to our newsletter, and taken advantage of our coaching and courses. It’s been rewarding for us, as our mission is to help you get the most out of your career, and we sincerely hope we’re making a difference in your lives.
We have exciting plans for the year ahead, including more community events, courses, and career resources to help you. We’ll share more on all of that in the weeks ahead.
Finally, a last request for 2024.?Please tell your family and friends about us!?If they’re in the work world, they need career guidance – we all do. Help us continue to grow our community and the impact we’re having by spreading the word.
Best wishes for the holiday season and for the year ahead!
JR and the PathWise team
Recent and Upcoming Podcasts
December 16, From the US Navy to the Tech Sector to the C-Level, with Randy Wootton. Randy’s storied career includes military service in the US Navy, a variety of tech roles including at Microsoft, Salesforce, and Seismic, and three CEO gigs. He is currently the CEO of Maxio, an industry-leading billing and financial operations platform for B2B SaaS companies. In our discussion, we’ll cover Randy’s career beginnings, his military service, his work in tech, including his CEO roles, and the other things that keep him busy professionally.
December 23, 2024 Favorites – The Podcast Top 10.?We’ll share the top 10 most downloaded audio episodes on our various social media accounts.
领英推荐
December 30, 2024 Favorites – The YouTube Top 10.?We’ll do the same for our top 10 most watched videos.
Recent and Upcoming Members-Only Content
December 16 – Tenacity.?Sometimes you have to really want it and really work for it. Talent is always a plus, but tenacity is often the difference between success and failure or winning and losing. It’s the mental strength that allows you to push through, even when it’s tough going. This week, we’ll share tips and tools for how to hone your tenacity.
December 23 – Consistency.?Consistency is another factor that can often trump raw talent or heroic efforts. It’s about showing up every day, doing what’s needed, and coming back to do it again tomorrow. Consistency turns intention into reality, and we’ll dive into how to build the habits that will make you known for your consistency.
December 30 – Judgment.?Judgment is about more than just the decisions made. It’s about the thought processes that underpin those decisions. And it’s a trait that is highly valued by colleagues, managers, and employers. We’ll finish up the year by introducing you to some of the frameworks you can use to sharpen your judgment.
December Book Summary
Right Kind of Wrong?by?Amy Edmondson, presented by PathWise’s Daniela De Luca. Building on her best-known work on psychological safety, Amy Edmondson’s most recent book focuses on failure. Many of us fear failure. Organizations often punish failure. But not all failure is created equal. Some failure is actually the ‘right kind of wrong.’ It’s critical to know the difference, and that’s what Edmondson explores.
Please share your feedback! You can email us at?[email protected]. And tell your family and friends about us! After all, we all need career guidance!