When Olympic athletes train for their specific event, they do so with a very clear focus on the end result, which can be as much as a full 4 years away. All their training and preparation is based on moving them closer to achieving their ultimate aim of competing and winning an Olympic medal.

 While most of us are unlikely to be contenders for an Olympic medal, we can learn some valuable lessons from these athletes example. One great lesson is in relation to planning.

 I heard recently that one of the main retail stores in Limerick City have started putting up Christmas decorations and window dressing already and it is not even October yet. While Christmas is a great time for socialising, getting a break and celebrating it is also for most a very stressful time as the businesses end of year targets need to be met, in December a month’s work is crammed into 2 or 3 weeks, mountains of presents have to be bought and this is all done through too many late nights.

 Have you ever stopped to consider that there may be a better way of preparing for Christmas, taking on all the challenges associated with December in both your business and personal lives and actually being relaxed on the run up to and during the Christmas holiday break.

 I am delighted to offer you some tips and guidance that I am confident, if applied will ensure that your Christmas will be a lot less stressed, pressurised, frantic and uncomfortable than previous years.

 Take 15 minutes in a quiet place when you will not be interrupted and plan the next 10 or 11 weeks on the run up to Christmas. Ask yourself; what specifically do I need to get done by the end of the year in my business / personal life before my well-deserved Christmas holiday?

 This may include producing reports, reaching sales targets, buying presents, closing deals, booking a holiday etc… What tasks need to be done that I am not looking forward to tackling? Can these be delegated to someone else or can they be reshaped so they are not as daunting. Realise and acknowledge also that this year most of us will have just over 3 full working weeks in December but will have a full 4 weeks in November and October so decide that this year you are not going to cram a full month worth of work into 3 weeks of December. Cramming seldom results in more getting done, it just creates stress, frustration and can often produce negative results. When you are under pressure, things get missed and more mistakes are made.

 Reflect back on December of last year and make a list of all the items you spent most time on in December that you felt had to be completed by the end of the year. Applying that great tool of hindsight anser the following questions. How absolutely necessary was it to get each of these items completed before Christmas?  What tasks could have been done earlier in say October or November?

Using the learning you have gained from this reflection exercise, revisit the list of items you have highlighted for completion by the end of December this year and answer the following questions. What does NOT absolutely need to be completed before Christmas? What can I reschedule to January or what can I delegate to someone else? What can I do now, in October and in November so I don’t have as big a workload in December?

 Take this opportunity to define how you want your December to be – How many hours will you work? What parties will you go to? How much energy will you have when you close up for Christmas on 23^rd December? How much time will you spend with family? What targets do you want to meet or exceed? Paint as vivid a picture as you can in your head of how you want your December to be.

 Now, applying the example of Olympic athletes, lay out a plan for the next 3 months that will result in the stress less, enjoyable, pleasant and relaxed December that you want making sure to stay absolutely focused on your ideal December.

 Even if you achieve just a fraction of your ideal December by applying the principles and tips outlined here, the result will be a vast improvement on previous Christmas’s?  Focus your energy, commitment and time on what you want and your dreams become a reality.

 Christmas is still 3 months away but now is the time to take control and plan so that you, your family your friends and work colleagues can have the most enjoyable, rewarding and fulfilling Christmas break that you deserve.

 Good luck.

 Remember: You become successful the moment you start moving towards a worthwhile goal.

 Fergal O’Connor is a Business and Personal Life Coach working in partnership with his Business and Private clients providing a supportive, confidential, challenging and non-judgemental environment to make their ambitions and dreams a reality. Fergal can be contacted at Synergy Coaching Services, Tel: (061) 467287, www.synergycoachingservices.net