As you feverishly peruse the Black Friday offerings and hover your chosen finger over the “buy” button, remember that the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season is time to pause.
Look back at the past year at work and in life and try to take time to think about what rocked, what sucked, how you could have expanded the big happy moments and avoided the big nasty ones.
Think about how you’ll make more money next year.
Yes, think about how you can get more business. And how you can be smarter, better, quicker, eat less white sugar, and get more sleep.
And then move on.
Money has been proven to improve the way you evaluate your life. But it hasn’t been proven to improve your emotional well-being. Just ask Daniel Kahneman, one of the sharpest tacks in our universal mental toolbox.
So pause.
Pausing leads to emotional well-being, which leads to all kinds of well-being, including the money kind. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Yes, there are other things your brain needs to think about this time of year. Decorating, shopping, cooking, writing cards, buying that balaclava you’ve had your eye on for sub-zero dog walking. It’s the time of year when, if there’s a window of time, we crash through it and use every minute. Just writing about it makes me tired.
So here’s a suggestion: Stop filling gaps and start taking pauses. Take time to think. To breathe. To Be Present.
To Be.
Directly or indirectly, the money will come. It will. Soon enough, you’ll work your ass off for it. For now, step away from it.
If nothing else, it’ll give you a little extra time to make room for a second helping of sweet potato casserole. And maybe even a great deal on Black Friday.