Marketing: What to do in between Christmas and New Year

I chose to take an early break. On 21^st of December, I turned off my computer and did not re-open until 28^th. Seven (7) Blissful days of no emails, no text messages, no direct messaging on socials. For me, it was as if I had closed off and steadfastly headed to early retirement.

That is wishful thinking. Retirement is as far away from my psyche as heading to the moon. My first day, I drove 8 hours from Sydney to Melbourne. Packing up my stuff and a bunch of gifts for those who celebrate this time of year, my dog Jolie and myself set on a trip to a better life (or a better week as it turned out).

Stopping to catch up in Albury with an old client for a mere 20 minutes, to break up the trip and give the pooch a much-needed restroom break, I found myself completely lost in the perfect landscapes that Australia has to offer. No music, no calls – just I, the road, the land and a shaky dog who clearly is not a fan of long-distance drives.

When I arrived, the dog stopped shaking, the evening was perfectly balmy with the right amount of hot, begging me to sit outside and enjoy what Sydney had to offer.

I dropped off my luggage and had the hotel take it to my room as I raced off to see my friend who had flown in from Papua New Guinea. We settled in Paddington at ‘The Five Ways’ and enjoyed a bottle of wine and delicious Thai cuisine, talking as if no time had passed.

Just as I began to really feel like I was on holidays, I noticed her mesh bag, handcrafted in PNG by the local Provence in a weave that was truly beautiful. Immediately, I said, “You should start a company selling these in Australia. They sell for a pretty penny.” And just like that… my holiday was no longer just a holiday.

You see, I am a serial entrepreneur who must constantly reign myself in from thinking of the next business idea or creation. It never ends, but for what seemed like a long time (in fact it was less than 12 hours), I took a break. 

Being an entrepreneur is not a job, it is a passion. Learning, experiencing, and tackling business is in my bones. I live and breathe business and opportunity like many eat and drink. It’s something I cannot seem to do without. 

I’m continually challenged to take a break, but whether I like it or not, a break doesn’t stop my brain from ticking over and in fact, it sets it alight with new, wonderful ideas that in the thick of everyday life, I don’t have the luxury to coendure.

Rather than fight it, I’ve decided to embrace it.

Read a book

Reading has always been my guilty pleasure. I read mostly business books and autobiographies of the hard cover variety. Online I read about marketing as the minute a marketing book is published, it’s out of date. When I read, I always get ideas that I jot down in a notebook beside my bed.

Listen to a podcast

For me, podcasts about marketing tend to not tell me anything new that I haven’t already read previously, so I choose podcasts that are about business or politics. It’s always interesting to hear someone else’s point of view.

Clean up your to do list

Unlike a workday, a to do list in review can really help provide you with clarity. Is it really that important? Can someone else do this for me? Is it a priority? What is my priority? My suggestion is to do this with a glass of wine – it helps see your to do list more clearly – I promise.

Social media

Start conversations, reach out to people you are interested in talking to, ‘like’ people that you know need to be reminded that people are interested in what they have to say and clean up who you are following. I really enjoy spending time on social media in the holidays because there is no pressure.

Socialise

Catch up with people in your life that you enjoy. Re-connecting often helps busy people remember who they are, why they are here and what the person they want to be moving forward.

Switch off

I rarely look at my phone over the holidays. A digital detox for at least 23 hours out of 24 is necessary. In business, we are too connected to our cell phones which is unhealthy. Use the holidays to re-define your relationship with technology.

Happy Holidays!