This is From The Balance Beam

[TheBalanceBeam] - Visions of Sugar Plums

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THE BALANCE BEAM
Ideas and Inspiration for Creating a Life that Works
Vol. 3 No. 14, December 24, 2002
Published by Success Builders, Inc.
http://www.SuccessBuildersInc.com
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"He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened."
Lao-tzu
In this issue: VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS
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Dear Friends:
Merry Christmas Eve! I hope this finds you preparing to shut down computers and offices and workplaces far and wide to enjoy the holidays in the company of those you love. Better yet, perhaps you've already checked out and will find it when you return in January. Whatever your way of acknowledging and celebrating the holidays in your tradition, I wish you joy, peace, and a time of rest. The New Year will be here before we know it!

If you are interested in reading earlier editions of The Balance Beam, you can easily retrieve them by clicking on http://www.successbuildersinc.com/newsletter.html and going to the Archives section. If you are not yet a regular subscriber to The Balance Beam, you can also enter your subscription information at this location.
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Today's Topic: VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS

I talked with a client this morning who called me from home because she's sick with an upper respiratory infection, better known as "whatever that bug is that's going around." Diane has had an extremely demanding year at work, managing a global team in a post-merger organization in which the dust hasn't even begun to settle. She's done a great job through the transition, and she's very, very tired, which may have something to do with this bug catching up with her. This woman is a candidate for a long winter's nap, if there ever was one.

When I inquired about how she is planning to spend the holidays, she sighed and said that she and her husband are currently in the conversation about juggling the calendar to figure out what dates they will visit her family, his family, when they will host their annual holiday gala, how they will honor their employees and work associates, what the office party should consist of, how they will sandwich in the holiday events in their symphony ticket series, and of course, finding time to search for the perfect gifts for friends, family and associates. Whew. I got tired just listening to her.

What Diane really needs to be thinking about is how to engineer some much-needed rest and down time into her jam-packed schedule. Unfortunately, that's also the piece that's unlikely to even make the list when it comes to the question of how to fit everything in. So I asked Diane to step aside from the focus on scheduling and spend a few minutes with me clarifying her vision for the holidays. Did she really want a stressful series of obligations and events that would require her to be "on" and entertaining, or was she willing to step out of the pattern this year and create a different theme for her holidays?

As we brainstormed around naming a vision for the season, some very divergent possibilities showed up. Diane admitted that without thinking about it, she has often bought into themes like, "Glitz and Glamour," "Surrounded by Family and Friends," and my favorite, "The Martha Stewart Pursuit of Holiday Perfection." We continued to play with ideas, and suddenly her vision for what she really wanted crystallized in her mind. This was the year, she declared, for a theme of "Sleeping in Heavenly Peace."

Once it was clear to Diane what she really wanted for this season, she was able to give herself permission to step away from the endless list of activities that didn't support her vision. She decided to forego the holiday party in favor of hosting dinner at a nice restaurant for their closest friends. She committed to doing her shopping online. She ordered gift certificates for all of her employees. And she opted to combine some of her symphony tickets, along with a babysitter for the evening, as a gift to a niece with young children. Most importantly, she created space for herself to rest, restore, and enjoy the simple serenity of the season at home with her immediate family. Their priority for this year, she will tell you, is cocooning, watching old movies in front of the fireplace, and taking time to remember the reason for the season.

What's the vision that captures what you really want for this holiday season? Before you get busy with the calendar and list of events, consider the theme that will best support you, your family and your associates this year. It may be festive and full of activities; it may be about a White Christmas in a Currier and Ives destination; or, you may picture yourself lying on the living room sofa and celebrating in dreamland, with visions of sugar plums dancing in your head. Whatever your vision, make sure your commitments support it. And know that your family and close friends will still love you, even if you decide to axe that trip to Topeka. Happy holidays - here we go!
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Words to live by:

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."
- Leonardo daVinci

"How beautiful is it to do nothing, and then rest afterward."
- Proverbs