Let me guess. Are you a woman over 55, busy with holiday preparations, travel plans and family gatherings with children and grandchildren? Maybe you have business matters to finish and friends to catch up with. Or maybe you just want to be home alone for once.
How do you balance everything at the end of the year: your time (coming and going), energy (going out of your way to nurture someone in need), and the money side of things?
Years ago, as the holidays approached, I was going through a painful divorce as a single mom to two daughters, ages 3 and 5. It was December and I was in my first job as an accountant at a national bank;
This was a great opportunity for me in many ways. However, it broke my heart to leave my daughters at their grandmother’s during the day so that I could have a paid job. My salary was $450 a month. My house bill was $387.That didn’t leave much to pay for food, clothing, utilities, and transportation.
With two young children and working, I was always behind doing laundry. It seems like it was yesterday that my friend Jennifer stopped by to say hello. So that year she was my “Santa ” was
We all need a thoughtful friend, so let me share 5 tips I’ve used to help myself and others keep smiling.
Tip #1: Smile at everyone
Smiling prevents wrinkles – seriously. When I look at my grandmother’s pictures, I see myself in her, and not just because our family has chubby cheeks. When we smile, it’s all lit up we frown, our cheeks droop, showing how unhappy we are.
Even if you don’t have chubby cheeks, smiling creates positive energy that lifts your spirits from within.It’s a great way to help you be happier while spreading the emotions around you.
You should try to smile at someone who looks miserable. If you keep smiling, they will almost certainly follow suit.
Tip #2. give time to the new one
If you haven’t retired yet, or decided to keep working a little longer, you probably know that getting paid by the hour means time is money, so giving someone time helps you keep things in perspective.
When I say “things,” I mean having a home, a family, food in the fridge, transportation to get to and from, a network of friends, etc. Think about making a list of all the “blessings” you have that you often assume everyone else has :
When the temperature was below freezing last year, I met a new man at church, a boy named James, who was sleeping under a bridge with cardboard as a mattress and a thin blanket.
He told me he was new in town and had a job that started next Monday. After he got paid he would be able to rent a room somewhere until he could afford something better.
James made me think about everything I took for granted in my life. James was just grateful for the job and had no complaints about his current circumstances. He made me think about how I could share what I had never thought of it before.
Tip #3. Balance your checkbook before you go shopping
Years (or maybe not enough years) of balancing your checkbook have probably made you despise doing it. But go ahead and balance it today. Why? So that you can plan ahead for any additional expenses during the holidays.
One method I’ve used in the past is the envelope system. Since many banking transactions are now electronic, it’s easy to lose track, so you can simplify the balancing process by allocating money for gifts and party expenses using an envelope for each category. :
That way, your budget is in each envelope and you can manage how much you spend or save this time of year. When the envelope is empty, hopefully you’ll have made all your planned purchases and won’t be tempted to keep spending the money you’ve already spent. don’t have
Of course, these holiday spending envelopes will be in addition to keeping track of your regular bills and expenses, but it feels good to start the new year with a clean slate and be up-to-date on your bill payments.
Tip #4: Look up and out, never give up
For those of us who own a business in retirement, we are familiar with “work on your business, not only in that.” Here’s a tip to look up and beyond today.
You can use the following steps to set a goal and schedule your next steps:
- What do you want to achieve next year?(For example, earn another $1000 per month = $12,000 next year).
- What steps do you need to take in the next 30 days to reach your goals?
- How do you want to measure success?(For example, number of contacts generated for jobs, number of people who say yes, dollar amount earned to earn $1000 extra per month).
- Repeat every 30 days for 12 months to achieve your goals for the year.
Tip #5. Get ready for the New Year
In preparation, the real fun begins when we clear out the old to let the new in. This prompt is two-fold: financial and non-financial.
Raise the financial side
Gather all your financial and other documents from the previous year to organize your year-end reports. Consider using Dropbox or Google Drive to scan and store your annual documents digitally, setting up similar files for the coming year.
De-clutter your home and office in free space
Take a visual inventory of your home and work space to identify clutter.This is an ideal time to declutter by keeping or throwing away things (or even giving things away) that don’t bring joy to your life.
By getting dirty, your mind will be more nimble so you can engage in new conversations and new activities without getting bogged down.
Use these tips to help you do what you love and enjoy what you do.
Let’s talk.
How are you preparing for the holidays with your personal and business life? What tips do you have for ending the year with a smile? Please share in the comments below.
