It's called Christmas With a Capital "C"

Forget, "Happy Holidays", tell everyone you meet, "Merry Christmas"!

Holiday Perspectives

Time management becomes a critical issue this time of year. With holiday shopping, school plays, decorating, family parties, Christmas caroling, baking, Christmas cards, delivering presents, special church services, and community projects, we run ourselves ragged! Factor in the increased need for cash this time of year and the stress level sharply increases!

For freelance writers, time management is a daily struggle. Your home is your office. You never completely escape from the sink full of dirty dishes, the laundry climbing the walls in the bathroom, or the cries of an unhappy toddler at your feet. Distractions constantly call you away from your work, and if you allow it, you can waste hours being unproductive.

In your quest for greater efficiency, remember to schedule time for your spouse and kids. Take time to play with trains under the dining room table, spend a few minutes watching a movie with your spouse (without your laptop perched in front of you), and call your grandmother just to say you love her. Life is about relationships. All the work will still be there waiting for you. The business world will not grind to a halt if you take a break.

In fact, take a few hours for you. Read a fiction novel, go for a walk, make a snowman in the front yard (even if you don't have kids!), take a long, hot bath, or go see a movie. Recharge your batteries and you will find returning to your work is easier.

Christmas is about the birth of an extraordinary baby. Don't turn it into a marathon of activities! Christmas is still Christmas without cookies, gifts, decorations, or parties. Keep things in perspective and use the holidays as an excuse to spend extra time with the people who are important to you.

Have a Merry Christmas and may your 2008 be filled with blessings, prosperity and love.