On the Twelth Day of Christmas my True Love Gave to Me . . . .

I have no idea what your true love will give to you, nor is it any of my business, however I would like to suggest some things that YOU might like to give to YOU this festive season.

They are in no particular order - pick and choose as you want !

Time to relax - take the time to just do nothing for a while. Feel the fun of banishing the TO DO list from your life for an hour or a day or a whole damned week !

Let go judgments - take a mental break from criticising other things and other people and especially yourself. None of it is useful and all of it costs you energy.

Make a brag book - get yourself a very nice little notebook and write down all the things you have achieved this year, the big things and the little things. It will be a god-send on the days when you are feeling overwhelmed. When you have created your own, make one for someone else close to you, to help them see their real value

Ask fewer WHY questions - I wrote about this here earlier in the year and had lots of great feedback. People find it very free-ing to let this question go and substitute WHAT questions instead, like ~ What is getting in the way of my taking more time for me?

Refuse to accept the status quo - this is a key choice you must make. If, in answer to the question 2 lines above, you answered : Too many other things to do or Other people need me more , then don't accept it. Talk to the person who can change it ~ YOU !! It starts right there.

Decide on your key priorities for 2005 - I am not talking new year resolutions here - they are usually a one week wonder. What are the key things you must, and will, and want to achieve in 2005, and plan your year accordingly - one month, one week, one day at a time.

Pace yourself between now and Christmas . Expecting to do a full month's work between now and Dec 24 is crazy, so don't even try it. Yes the work will still be waiting there after the holidays but your health is more important, no matter what your role is, or how important you are.

Choose the easy path. Often we think that the challenges ahead will be hard, stressful, difficult. Try thinking easy, simple, obvious, and do it. Sometimes we do make things just far too complicated. They need not be !

Take responsibility for a better 2005. Don't make the mistake of thinking next year will be much different to this one unless you are prepared to take responsibility for creating those better outcomes yourself. Think where to start and do it now ~ and if you want some help, I'll be running my tele-coaching courses throughout the summer so check my website for new dates. It would be great to have you join me

Warmest wishes for a safe and joyful few weeks. And to all those people in libraries up and down the country who I have had the pleasure of working with this year through tough times and great times, a huge thank you - it was a delight to meet you and work with you. Here's to more in 2005 !