The holidays are full of family and joy but the extra tasks you add to your already full load can push you into overwhelm.

Trying to make the house perfect, the holiday decorating perfect, all the presents perfect all while perfectly wrapping the gifts so they match the tree will make you crazy and very tired. Now add all that to a full design business work load to your “to do” list and it’ll push you over the top.

Sometimes staying busy can make you feel important and needed, but you need to stop and look at why you’re doing something and who it’s really for in order to stay well-balanced.

You may think you’re thriving and getting it all done by having a busy, tight schedule, but pause and take a look. Are you trying to create a feeling of self-importance or self-worth by being crazy busy?

Take an honest look at what exactly you’re doing. Are you really living the life you want to live?
The answer is usually NO.
Much of the rush – rush comes from being reactive as opposed to proactive. When you’re proactive you work from a plan for the day and have an overall goal in mind.

You have some space in your day to take care of “fires” but don’t let them rule your life, that way you end the day feeling accomplished and relaxed.

So, how do you get your life back under your control? Here are three tips to get started.

1) Don’t start your day with email!

Email instantly causes you to react and you don’t want to start there. Begin your day with something important that needs to be done, like creative work for a paying client or your marketing. Put an hour in your schedule mid-day to respond to the emails and then move on with your day.

Gaining Perspective: remember we’re not practicing medicine; there really is no such thing as a design emergency. I know, clients think they have an emergency but really, no one has ever died of sofa… so email can wait!

2) It is OK to say NO to things that don’t make you happy.

Like taking client phone calls and texts at late at night or taking client appointments on Saturday. Establish boundaries and run your business like a businessperson rather than a housewife. You, your clients, and your family will thank you.

3) Refer back to your bigger “why.”

Think about the bigger reason why you’re doing design and working so much. Is it to create beauty and change lives? (That is mine) Or do you want to contribute to your family’s financial well-being, maybe pay for private school or even travel with your children and show them the world?

Remembering the bigger why of what you do will put the daily challenges in perspective and create more balance in your life.