From Christmas to New Years: 5 Self-Leadership Practices to Make the Most Out The Season
How do you spend Christmas break? Of course there is family, food, fun, and reflection on faith. For me, it is one of the most strategic times to make the most out of my time for the following year. My hope, for you as a leader, is to make the most out of your time too. Here are 5 practical ways to make the most out of this season:
Make the most out of your relationships that matter the most.
Christmas is about being intentional in relationships. This might be a given but in the broken world we live in we need to build bridges with those who matter the most to us. Relationships with God, family, friends, and those who are less fortunate are more important than anything else we will experience on our short time on Earth. Christmas is a great time to be intentional with God and others.
Make the most out of your time during the holidays.
Relaxation, recreation, and renewal are needed during holidays… and yet there is a difference. An example of relaxation is watching a game, doing minimal tasks and takes little energy. I think we ALL need tome to relax, but to be honest, I tend to spend too much time in this area.
We also need to spend time in recreation; which is being active, playing games with family and friends, and doing things that use energy. This can be activities of fun that connects with others, reading a good book, getting out in the fresh air. Whatever you find gives you recreation, do it over the holiday season.
However, the BEST spent time during the holidays is renewal. Renewal is intentional. Renewal is about reflection. For me, this includes:
· What have been the highlights this year? And why? What are my learning lessons for the year?
· What have been the lows this year? And why? How can I learn from my lows for next year?
· What patterns have I developed that need to be corrected? Or changed?
· What rhythms have helped develop me in a better person? Husband? Father? Minister? Or made me worse?
This is a great exercise to do between Christmas and New Years.
Challenge yourself to grow
Growth is hard, uncomfortable, yet necessary to become a better person. This includes a plan to grow in the way God has created you and I. For me, if God gave His very best to you and I (through Jesus) how much more should I give my very best (including the good, bad, and the ugly) to Him? Every year, I build a plan to help me stay focused and grow. This would include:
· Growing in my character as a husband, father, person,
· Growing in my calling, as in the context of ministry, career, hobbies,
· How to grow in my influence that God has given, and
· Growing in my competencies including education and mentoring opportunities.
Do you have a plan? The reason I ask this is because growth does not happen accidently. It takes intentionality.
Find a mentor
This is a big one. If you are reading this, find a mentor who is intentional with you and will serve you to bring out the best in you. Intentional mentoring will help you go further faster in your calling, character, and competencies. Check out DUCO Leadership Mentoring Network for more details on this.
Live BEYOND yourself
Living for others is the best way to live. Of course, we may want to lose weight, make more money, and live healthier. Yet, those things happen WHEN you and I desire to live for relationships rather than things.
My challenge for you is to have the best year of your life. How? Make the most out of this holiday season by focusing on relationships, on personal growth, and renewal.
How else do you make your Christmas break great? Feel free to add to the convo.