Let's Trade "Just Do It" for "Just Don't" (Productive Flourishing Pulse #482)
Step away from the planner/task list for just a little bit
Yes, the year is coming to a close. Yes, we all undoubtedly have tasks to complete, projects to finish, goals to meet. I (Steve) sure do.
And while it might be tempting to cram a few more workdays into the year, I’m going to encourage you (us) not to do that, if at all possible.
I know you wanna (me, too). We want to “finish the year strong.” We want to make these last days “count.”
I’m going to encourage us all to “count” those days differently, and spend our time:
Resting and recovering. It’s been a hard year for a lot of us, hasn’t it? Let’s acknowledge that “hard” and give ourselves some time to regroup — physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
Reconnecting. If you’re like a lot of us, all the running has left us somewhat disconnected from the people around us. Heck, even disconnected from ourselves. How might we rebuild those important connections? (Isn’t that what the holidays are about and for, anyway?)
Reflecting. We talked about annual reflection last week — if you haven’t done yours yet, all good. Now’s a good time, as you have the time, energy, and attention (TEA) for it.
Resetting. If you MUST do something “productive” with the time, now’s a great time to do some of that CAT work we tend to put off. It’s a great time because it’s usually low-stress work, and it usually doesn’t require the best of ourselves to make progress on it (see #1).
Yes, this will probably mean leaving a few projects on the cutting room floor, or boxed up for unpacking next year. That’s okay. (Really. They’re not going anywhere.) Leave yourself a nifty breadcrumb trail to get back to it in the new year when you’re better resourced to do your best on it.
Happy holidays, whatever and however you celebrate, from all of us here at Productive Flourishing. See you in 2025!
~Steve
Take a Moment
A prompt to pause and reflect.
Which ONE of the 4Rs above do you most need to invest time in right now? How can you create that time for yourself, and give yourself the grace to use it the way that serves you best?
Holidays Away
As we mentioned last time, Team PF is following its own advice and taking some much-needed time away over the holidays. Our offices will be closed December 21 through January 1, 2025. We’ll be back in a limited capacity January 2-3, and fully back January 6.
Final Days of the Holiday Sale
If you want to take advantage of our holiday sale at the PF shop, you still have through the end of the month/year to do that. Here’s the link with the discount codes and other info.