There is something about getting away from your usual routine that allows you to stop, relax and appreciate the simple things in your life.
On holiday the simple act of a walking with my man and the dogs in the park has an amplified level of joy I can’t quite figure out. Same man, same dogs but way different moment!
Breakfast too tastes so much nicer. Same healthy choices yet the experience is again enhanced by something that at the beginning of the holiday break I have difficulty pin pointing.
As the dogs are still just puppies, there is no lengthy sleep in each morning yet I am definitely waking up with a sense of rest and awaken feeling refreshed and revitalized.
So what is this magical ingredient the holiday break has sprinkled upon me?
I am still working; keeping in touch with the stores and the team is always a seven day role. China is very busy this time of year so I am online to them too. At the beginning of each day I also love to reset the business compass and tidy up my focus for the New Year... so work is definitely still on the agenda.
Upon initial reflection it seemed that this magical holiday ingredient was eluding me or was it that it wasn't important enough for me to look hard for an answer?
But now we are about to return to 'normality' I am wondering if I can't simply transfer a holiday state of mind to my everyday routine. Could I take just enough holiday magic back with me to allow for more than the occasional special moment before Christmas 2014?
So as we journey home I begin to narrow down the key feelings and thoughts that have surrounded me while on holiday. Interestingly, while I have remained busy during the break there just seemed to still be an abundance of time.
While I did not manage to add more time to each day, I did seem to be able to live in the moment with a great deal more focus. The absence of pending meetings or deadlines allowed me to relish in the 'now' which in turn magnified the essence of each moment.
In addition to this I allowed myself to indulge in thinking about all matter of things unimportant. Laughing out loud I would be planning with much enthusiasm the lunch-time platter while still enjoying breakfast.
The holiday had removed the background noise from my life! Just like a Dolby stereo filtering out the piffle, time from normality made the magic so much more intense!
The magnification of my focus on simple events that are usually relegated or if they have to be achieved they are more often delegated to others, inherently made said events more special and rewarding.
Okay! I'm getting somewhere now... so... How can I take some of this holiday 'magic' back with me?
While I would love to simplify my working life that is just never going to happen but I do think I could prioritize more 'trivial' events into my week and promise myself time not only to attend these events but to also ensure that I deliberate and build some emotional anticipation before they actually fall into my 'to do today' list!
So keen to have a piece of my holiday every day I have begun a list of 'things to do to maintain the holiday buzz list'.
Feel free to grab some of my planned holiday magic extenders from the list below and treat yourself to that amazing holiday everyday experience...
· I want to ensure that I read a book for at least four hours a week.
· Plan meals better. This seems to be the biggest focus on holiday when there is always lots to choose from and yummy eating experiences to have around the big outdoor table. I really do enjoy preparing and cooking from lunchtime platters to full meals ... I forget that in my manic life.
· Get out more... take a walk, read a paper or mag, find time to do nothing... you don't have to fill every moment up.
· Be okay about doing it tomorrow. We were always putting stuff off knowing that we would get to it, and loving that it didn't matter if it waited.
· Talk to each other about nothing, the stuff you used to dribble on about when you first got together for hours and hours. Try to re-find these conversations.
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