A Delicate Balance

The holidays are fast approaching, and along with demanding work schedules, co-workers are taking time off, leaving the rest of the staff doing double duty.  It seems like things should slow down during the holidays, but if you’re in hospitality, sales, retail, food service or just about anyone providing products or services, you’re busier than ever. 

Work provides the money to buy gifts, fuel the car for trips to visit family and friends, and decorate the house.  You have to work, and if you’re one of those who work two jobs during the holidays to earn some extra money, you’re working long hours.  Where’s the time to do the shopping, decorating, cooking and visiting?  It takes some planning to strike a delicate balance between working the holidays and enjoying them.

First of all, take a long, hard look at your expectations.  Holiday traditions are great, but they change over the years just as people and families change.  The kids grow up and move away, people’s tastes change, and the old traditions or events change as well.  Do you really have to take the three-day trip to visit family or old friends?  The holidays are the busiest times of the year for travel.  Why spend your time in airports or stuck in traffic with thousands of other travelers?  You can enjoy a quieter, simpler holiday and take that trip after the rush is over. 

The holidays are all about giving gifts.  In good times, it was easier to fill the floor around the tree with piles of gifts for everyone in the family and close friends as well.  Unfortunately, the recession, for some, never ended.  Working two jobs can provide the money to buy the expensive gifts the kids are expecting, but take a toll when you have to work 14 or 15 hours a day just to pay the bills.  It may be time to reassess what’s really important.  The balance comes in the time it takes away from family and friends to earn the money to buy the gifts and the quality time you are able to spend with the ones you love to enjoy the spirit of the season.

An article in Monster.com gave some suggestions on balancing work and the holidays, such as making a master plan.  Once you’ve reassessed your holiday habits, make a plan to get the things done that are still on the list.  Shopping online can take a lot of stress and time out of shopping.  With free shipping and online discounts, you can save money and have a bigger selection to choose from.  It’s easier to go from one website to another looking for that special item than it is to drive all over town.  It’s cheaper, too.  Some online retailers even gift-wrap.  Count the cost of your time against the cost of gift-wrapping.  It may not be cheaper, but it can give you that balance that you’re looking for.

Making your mother’s from-scratch holiday sweet rolls takes a lot of time.  Will everyone really be disappointed if you don’t serve them for brunch?  A lot of holiday traditions go on long after they have lost their importance.  Balance is about finding out what is really important today, not what was important in the past. 

Letting go of some things makes room to start new traditions.  This year, strike a healthy balance between working to pay for the holidays and having the time to enjoy them.  It can be the start of a tradition that works for you and those you love for years to come.

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