New Year, New Challenges

This is our first blog of 2014. If this is your first time reading welcome, if not welcome back and thanks for reading and for your support. The last part of 2013 was pretty crazy given that in my full time work in the entertainment industry and hospitality industry the end of the year is what I refer to as the “business end of the year”. A lot of international DJ’s are touring, leaving behind their freezing cold climates to head around the world chasing an infinite summer. With that comes a lot more work, more people coming into the venue and a tonne more individuals to coordinate and organise. Throw in all the spring / summer weddings it means an increase of hen’s parties, Christmas parties social get togethers. Summer is without a shadow of a doubt our most busy time of year. Everyone’s less dormant; the days are longer the clothing is less. There is less of a call for wielding an umbrella with you and you’re more enthusiastic to leave your couch to source a cold drink and dance floor. Before we know it it’s already mid-January and we’re looking towards March and June. Well I am anyway.

People who I liaise with always find it really interesting that it might be only January but I’m already planning out my year. Planning the June Long Weekend, counting down until October and strategising for all the other special events throughout the year. Is that being too forward thinking and organised? I say there is no such thing. You can never too organised and you’d be surprised how organised others are too. I have clients often booking in their events 6 months in advance, sometimes even a year out. My last minute.com clients are often shocked when they call a day before on a busy weekend only to be told we’re fully booked out or I can’t squeeze them in.

I’m a firm believer that to be successful you need to be organised. You need to be forward thinking and savvy. Rather than work harder, work smarter. This has worked wonders for me, giving me a huge advantage in both business and my personal life. While there is a downside to this; I never know what month it is and it can at times be overwhelming. I often need to stop and remind myself to focus on the right now too so I actually get to stop and enjoy it too. I’m getting better at that though by factoring in time for myself, loved ones and my own projects, but it is a challenge.

A lot of people kick off the New Year with a list of goals, resolutions and a list of things they want to accomplish. Often they don’t succeed which can happen but at least they tried, I too am guilty of this so I know what it’s like. You can always pick it up later again but I’ve come to learn there is never a good time to do things. Often we make excuses, self-sabotage or just don’t want to do them. If you don’t want to, then don’t. It might not be the right time. Life is busy, we’re tired and we all have things happening. BUT I see this as a very small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things. Let me explain. I always want to put more time and effort into my own projects and personal writing projects. Life is busy, it’s stressful yes, but by not taking the time to do things, I’m the only one suffering by putting things off. I’m the one that will hopefully reap the benefits down the track. If nothing more I can say I accomplished something I set out too and I gave it my all. There is nothing better than that feeling of accomplishment too when you do something for yourself. When see something comes to fruition that was a simple idea now something more.

I set myself a challenge that I would write every day for the next 30 days, it’s now been 9 days. While there have been days where I have been tired or didn’t want to, I have been pushed and pushed myself. By sitting down and writing something, anything I’ve come up with a lot of ideas and content all for myself. An hour a day to do something for myself in the grand scheme of things isn’t that much. I do plenty for others, I’ve looked at it now as I deserve it and I owe it to myself. I’m already smashing through the word count towards a book I’ve wanted to write for some time. I’ve realised that I do have time and I did all along. There is nothing more rewarding than stepping away to come back and see what you accomplished to know that there is so much more in you. I recommend you try it.
This is the year that things get done. That we need to take accountability for ourselves, that we come to realise that we can do things if we want to do them, but we have to do them for ourselves. I challenge you to challenge yourself! Try it!
Pick one thing you want to do for yourself this year. In the grand scheme of things 1 thing isn’t that big. Do it, follow it through, tell us about it and then start the next.
Good luck and speak soon

Chrissy