A festive perspective

How was your 2024? I hope that whatever this year had in store for you, it’s been good, and that you’re rounding out the year feeling positive about the future.

It’s not always that way, of course. This time last year my phone pinged. It was a message from a client.

“Next year is looking horrible. We are going to need to make some big changes. Can we make a plan now for January? I want to be able to relax over Christmas knowing that it’s in hand.”

I called her.

“I feel like the Grinch,” she said.

We’re all feeling it

Economic uncertainty, political upheaval and the relentless, grinding drama of rolling news are already making the next few months seem daunting.

The word you see more often than any other is ‘permacrisis’. But, despite the media narrative, tough times aren’t new. A cursory glance at history will tell you that it has always been this way.

There is a liberating truth in this: difficulties are normal.

And the great thing about normal occurrences is that there’s a playbook for them.

Your awareness is functioning perfectly

I used to have a coach: a tough old Australian who worked in compliance, back in the day. I’d be moaning about this or that, and he’d always ask me the same question:

“When did you first become aware that there was a problem?” 

My sheepish answer, of course, was usually something like: six months ago.

The next question was more uncomfortable still:  “And what stopped you taking action?”

His point was this: your awareness is functioning perfectly. You know what you need to do. And in this context you are making a choice: to take action, or ignore it.

What’s your awareness telling you that January needs to bring with it?

• Reducing costs or headcount
• Refocusing your strategy
• Overhauling your budget
• Reshaping your leadership team
• Slowing down new product development
• Tackling your Board or shareholders
• Something else?

And what’s stopping you from taking action now?

That stone in your shoe

When we ignore our awareness, it’s like having a small stone in our shoe. We might be able to carry on walking, but at some level: ouch, ouch, ouch.

Avoiding tough issues doesn’t make them disappear. It only drags them into the holidays, turning what should be a time of joy into a season of anxiety and loneliness.

This time of year, I speak to many leaders who are trying to ignore these stones in their shoes. They feel like they’re bringing the mood down by confronting knotty issues when others are taping tinsel to their laptops. But they end up ruminating while everyone else is relaxing; feeling maudlin while everyone else is making merry.

If that rings true, it doesn’t make you the Grinch.

It makes you a human being who is trying to do their best in difficult circumstances.

Christmas rescue remedy

‘Action this day’ is not what anyone wants to hear in December. But, as counterintuitive as it might sound, taking action now might be the thing that helps you have a relaxing Christmas.

Here’s where to start:

Recognise that you have time. This newsletter is reaching you three weeks before Christmas. You can accomplish a lot in three weeks, especially when everyone else is getting bloated on Quality Street.

Talk to someone. Perspective is powerful, and you are not the Grinch for seeking it. Talk to your coach, mentor or another trusted contact.

Make a plan for January now. Knowing precisely what the New Year requires of you — however unpalatable it might feel — will help your mind close some of its open loops, and reduce anxiety levels.

Thanks for reading.

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