I don’t know about you, but I feel no different than I did 24 hours ago.
On the other hand, and there are usually two, I feel quite a bit different than I did 24 weeks or months or years ago.
Because, as my friend Chris likes to remind us, we tend to overestimate what we can get done in a day and underestimate what we can get done in a year. (Or, you know, 24.)
So this is me, letting myself, and perhaps you, off the hook: consider giving yourself a December in January. Not a mulligan, exactly, but an extra 31 days of tying up loose ends and considering how you’d like to move forward and (hole-y Swiss cheese on a cracker) maybe even resting a little. The holidays, they have a way of taking it out of us.
Well, some of us.
Okay, fine: me.
What might December in January look like?
Mine is pretty straightforward:
- Close out my design business. I’m mortified to say that there are jobs from 2008 I still haven’t billed one of my clients for. So the bad news is me, looking (or feeling) extremely unprofessional. On the other hand, I know there’s money embedded in the deal, which is nice. (More on me and my high-larious relationship to money as I uncurl my toes and exhale these coming 12 months.) I also need to tell two clients that I’m retiring from all this glamor, and hand them off safely (assuming they’re not crazy and don’t turn down my recommendation).
- Finish plotting out 2010. Don’t get me wrong: planning is well underway, much of which I’ll share in the coming weeks. Think books, both the reading and writing of them, and a lot more audio and video content. At least, that’s what it’s looking like now.
- Get other ducks in a row. There’s some more Big Clutter to get out of the way before I’ll be able to breathe freely. Brooks is coming to town to help me out. (Well, not just for that, but I’m snagging him for a half-day.)
What’s my secret plan for getting all of this extra stuff done?
Also very straightforward: I’m not for hire.
For January and February, and probably not for March, either. Because I had some work and some travel on the books already, it wasn’t like there were vast expanses of empty space just because of some magical turn of the calendar page. And I have some secret desires I want to act on. (Secret for now: disclosure coming soon!)
If you are one of the organized few, or who knows, perhaps the organized many, please do leave your plans for achieving Total Global Domination in the comments area.
If not? Well. There’s room for more than one December in January…
xxx
c
Image by Optical Illusion via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.
communicatrix 
Yay! I love this month long version of the Self Imposed Vacation…enjoy and good luck!
What a lovely gift of permission. In fact, in this early first morning of the New Year, I am regrouping on my ultimate, uber-aggressive attack on the New Year. Mostly from the struggles throughout the last day of the year to create the blogsite listed (optimistically) above.
Who knew how much code was involved. So my goals for the year have become, slow down, work hard, enjoy more, create every day.
I wish you well in your New Year–you are a morning boost!
Juli
HA! Wonderful and congratulations. That “I’m not for hire” statement landed like fireworks. Way to do YOU, Colleen!! Proud of and inspired by you.
January won’t be tying up ends but heading in a whole different direction. Started rethinking my business life a few months ago. So now I’m letting the old “I don’t want to do this anymore” go to get on with the new “man I’m excited to do my passion of teaching people how to digitally paint!”
Just wish I could wiggle my nose and not have to do all the backend stuff of building a site, marketing, etc. (LOL).
This was the best post I could have read first thing in the morning. Yesterday I was crazy stressed out because I felt so unprepared for 2010. Who says I have to be! I’m going to use January to detox my environment (declutter and organize!), detox me (cut out sugar and cut down on caffeine!), get my ducks in a row and launch my business in February, and finish cutting ties with 2009.
Thank you for the inspiration!
If your travel plans include Seattle, I would love to share a delicious cup of coffee at Cafe Lladro or another cool place in the U District I can’t remember the name of but do remember the coffee was the best ever.
Thank you for the many insights, chuckles and supportive words you have shared in 2009. I appreciate them all and look forward to what you might bring forth in 2010.
Enjoy your rest … and your self!
I’ve begun the de-cluttering process inspired by your earlier pieces. I’m starting the year with a new assistant and a goal of prioritizing my family and myself.
Thank you so much for twist and spin you put on getting through the process that I used to equate with putting bamboo shoots under my nails. The zen state that the end of each project creates has been enlightening.
Happy New Year! Wishing you a great 2010
Best of luck on those secret desires C, you deserve the happiness!
@Delia – Yes! I recall a little sump’n-sump’n on your blog along these lines. A necessary thing, from time to time. (And for me, better to do this than to have to go on Emergency Vacation.)
@Juli – It’s like home remodeling: always takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you first think. But worth it, I think! Congrats to you.
@Dy – I thank you, as always, for the deep and specific support.
@Judith – Glad to hear it! Believe me, December-In-January is the solution to what I consider a problem. Better to not have the problem at all!
@Amy – Amazing how giving yourself permission can work, eh?
@Debbe – No imminent Seattle plans, but “YES!” to Cafe Lladro (and esp. Caffe Umbria) next time I’m there.
@Laura – Glad it was helpful. It is all in how you look at it, ain’t it?
@Angie – And YOU. YOU, Ang.
I love this idea of December in January! So often, January can be a time of let-down, where I have to scale back my expectations for what I can get done in the new year, mostly because of what I didn’t get done in December. And who can get anything done in December? I am inspired to use January to clear the decks and make room for a juicy 2010. Thank you!
Hi Colleen, I have been offline far too much lately, and I really like your Dec in Jan idea. In fact, I tried something new this year, and started wrapping up 2009 in mid-Nov. It helped that I was deathly ill for 4 weeks (mid-Oct to mid-Nov), so rather than trying to scramble to catch up I just started shutting things down.
I even made some notes in my 2010 calendar to go ahead and begin this process again this year, since it seemed to work this year.
Thanks for sharing this.