Here are some of the things I’ve changed:

1. Redefine

Christmas is a chance to redefine goals and objectives for yourself and your team in the coming 12 months.

At Zarrdia we set these well in advance of breaking up for Christmas, so the team has time to reflect on everything over the festive period but crucially, they are primed and ready to go come the New Year – well rested, refocused and ready for battle.

2. Review & Reassess

What I will do after this very successful year in Zarrdia, is review our 2020 goals, but most importantly reassess the process through which the business operates and the small things we do every day that brings our clients’ success.

It’s seldom as business leaders, we get this freedom from the day-to-day. To focus on the big picture, how we will get there and what the New Year will bring.

Ask yourself this: ‘Where would you like to be Christmas 2020?’

Envision that and absorb it into the grey matter. Write down the objectives that will get you there and use that as a compass week-to-week, to assess whether you’re on track.

3. Reflect

What I won’t do is focus too hard on our business. Of course as a CEO, it’s always hard to switch off when you’re on 24/7/365.

However, whether you have had a good or bad year, as Winston Churchill famously said, “Success is not final and failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts!”

If you had a bad year, take time to reflect on all the positives in your life; that could be your partner, kids or even spending time with your dog (we have a little Chihuahua called Binks) 🙂 Take time to appreciate all you have and don’t beat yourself up too much.

Facts; But don’t just take my word for it. There is a lot of science that backs up the benefits of switching off and spending time with your friends and family.

1. Harvard says so…

A longitudinal study from Harvard University looked at the happiness of 268 men over the course of 80 years from 1938-2018. Those men faced everything from illness to unemployment in their personal lives, and from WW2 to walls in their own lives. They witnessed and withstood a lot.

And what was the overall secret to happiness during those 80 years? Tending to their relationships is what mended and minded their lives. Interested? Listen to this TED talk, which has 30 million hits – What Makes a Good Life?

2. So does Yale

You might not find yourself sitting cross-legged by the Christmas tree on St Stephen’s night but giving your head some space from commuting, hustling and working will have similar benefits.

A recent study from Yale University found that mindfulness meditation reduces activity in that useless “monkey mind” – the part of the brain that wanders to worse case scenario, ruminates on what has been said and done and is very “me centred”.

3. And so does John Hopkins

And another study from John Hopkins University found that just two weeks of brain rest increased people’s concentration and attention span by 16%.

Finally, the great thing about Christmas is it’s possibly the one time of the year when everyone is off at the same time.

People will tell you they work ’round the clock to ensure a better life for their family. The irony is though, that we are working harder to provide more for a family we are seeing less and less of.

Use this time wisely for both yourself and your family.

2020 isn’t just a New Year, it’s a new decade!

Happy Christmas to all my readers and wishing you every success for 2020.