The Madness of Christmas

Booking my online shopping delivery for the holiday in late October I am amazed at how much of December was already fully booked on the store’s calendar. Black Friday had its epicentre close to our home pre Covid, our house is near one of the country’s largest outlet villages, causing roadblocks of traffic which took over 4 hours to clear in 2019 – I doubt it will be the same this year.

I regard this all as madness, it’s one day, really can be the most peaceful and calm days of the year and it got me wondering how we all arrived at this crazy spending and eating ritual? Walking around the shops you see people under huge stress, manic ticking off from long lists, road rage and even shopping trolley rage. This has got worse since Covid kicked in. If it’s taught us anything it’s we can do with less, not just ‘do’ either, actually thrive with less.

Is there another way? 

I think there is. All we need to do is make it a new tradition to cut down on the crappy TV, the over eating and the mass cost and get back to really important stuff. Loving our family, enjoying talking to each other and supporting their dreams and wishes long into the New Year. Christmas with the feel good factor is a gift to yourself. The gift that keeps on giving.

The Christmas madness and your business thinking

Get really clear on what works for you and what the 3 core principles of your business are. Focus on just those for the first quarter of the New Year. Ideally they are going to include sales so I will use that one as an example : I need to make £x in Jan, Feb, March. That means I need to earn £ x per day, £x per week. That means I need to do the following x number of things each day, week and month to achieve this. These things all need to be measurable so if the £x is not being achieved you know you need to do something more, note I say more not always something else.

Once you have this pinned on your wall, into your diary, on your phone and most of all in your head, it becomes a lot easier to stay on target. The strategy is to get x sales by using Y techniques and tactics in 3 months. All of your mind is focused on that as a core activity each day, a reckoning against target each day. Focusing on family or focusing on sales, its the same technique and dedicated effort and internally it will feel the same the more you do it – really really good and right.

I do love the fact I wrote this on the 28th October and scheduled it ahead.