What Should You Be Doing for Your Business Over the Christmas Holidays? Absolutely Nothing (Well Almost).

As a business owner or leader, the holiday season often feels like a luxury you can’t afford. But taking time out over Christmas isn’t just about festive cheer – it’s a key step towards maintaining your energy, reassessing your goals, and setting your business up for success in the new year. Here’s why switching off matters, and how to make the most of this time.

Rest Is a Performance Booster

It’s tempting to stay switched on, thinking productivity comes from constant effort. But research consistently shows the opposite. Regular breaks are crucial for avoiding burnout, improving focus, and sparking creativity. By taking a proper break over Christmas, you’ll be unwinding and creating space for your mind to recharge, so you can approach January with sharper ideas and renewed enthusiasm.

Christmas also brings plenty of opportunities to connect with family and friends. Strengthening those relationships reminds you of the bigger picture and why you work so hard in the first place. Prioritising personal connections builds resilience, helping you tackle professional challenges with a stronger mindset.

Reflect on Your ‘Why’

Christmas provides a natural pause to step back and ask some fundamental questions about your business and your role in it. Why did you start? Are your current strategies aligned with your long-term vision? What do you want to achieve in 2025? These reflections help to refocus your energy and ensure you’re still motivated by what matters most.

Don’t forget to take the time to celebrate what’s been achieved this year! Whether that’s landing a big client, meeting a milestone, or building a stronger team. Acknowledging successes is not only good for morale but also helps you identify what worked well and should be repeated.

Refine Your Goals and Strategy

While switching off doesn’t mean ignoring your ambitions, it does mean creating mental space for strategic thinking. This is a time to step away from the day-to-day grind and think bigger. What could you do differently? Do you have the resources you need? Who might be able to help you?

You could also use this time to pinpoint any gaps in your team’s skills or structure. Identifying these before January gives you a head start on making adjustments to ensure your business is ready for growth.

How to Make the Most of Your Break

Delegate and Plan Ahead: Ensure key tasks are covered by delegating responsibilities and setting boundaries around your availability. Your business won’t fall apart if you step away for a few days, if you have the right team it might even thrive.

Switch Off Completely: Set an out-of-office message, mute notifications, and put your phone down. Fully unplugging is the best way to get the real benefits of rest.

Set Your Goals for January: Relax and avoid the urge to look back at past hiccups, allow yourself to think about the year ahead. What will your priorities be? What’s the one big thing you want to achieve?

By giving yourself the gift of switching off over Christmas, you’ll return re-energised and ready to lead with clarity, purpose, and focus. The best way to serve your business is to bring your best self to it.

If you’re ready to work on yourself, your business, or your team in 2025, coaching could be the next step in achieving your goals for the year ahead. To find out more about how that could look and the benefits you can expect just call or email me at the details below.

Merry Christmas!

Bob Armour

bob@armourcoaching.com

07957 967 911