The week between Christmas and New Year is traditionally a time that many businesses close.

When I worked in the tutoring franchise, it was company policy to shut down for a few weeks from the week before Christmas to the week after new year, (whether we liked it or not).

Kip’s philosophy was that “we work for the clients and since our clients are school teachers running tutoring centres, school holidays are the only times we can go on leave”.

Not having kids of our own, Ross and I would have preferred to have saved our holidays and enjoyed time off out of school holidays, however it was not to be whilst I worked there.

Still, the point of today’s Weekly Thought is that whether it’s this time of year or any other time throughout the year, you need to have some down time. You need to take time for a rest.

Your health depends on it. Your mental health; your physical health; your spiritual health and your emotional health. Not to mention the health of your family, friends and work colleagues.

Even Weight Watchers encourages people on their program to make sure they get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Lack of sleep can interfere with your weight.

Today I ran over time on a meeting. I simply got lost in the conversation and didn’t realise that we had gone 30 minutes past finishing time. What concerned me more was that I knew the person I met with wouldn’t log off when we finished. We’ll call her Julia.

“Julia, please promise me you will log off now and go and enjoy dinner with your family”, I suggested.

“I’ll just check in with Rose and see if she needs anything, then I’ll log off”, she replied.

“Send me a text message when you log off please”, I asked, in order to encourage her to log off sooner than I thought she would as well as to act as an accountability buddy.

One and half hours later, I had not received the SMS.

As any good accountability buddy would do, I sent Julia an SMS. “Time for a Rest.”

Julia’s reply – “Logging out now.”

It’s very important to rest. As Kip told me when I first started with him, “We don’t pay overtime. What I want you to do is to work efficiently during your work hours and then go home and enjoy your time with your husband; rest and come back tomorrow refreshed and ready for another productive day.”

Kip was right. We do need to rest.

I know you work hard when you need to. I also want you to rest when you can and take advantage of when things are a bit slower, like the holiday season so that you can rest, relax and refresh.

Taking time for a rest is the smart thing to do. It will ensure you don’t burn out and will also assist you to be able to creatively solve problems because you will be in what David Bayer calls the “Powerful State”.

On the eve of the new year, I wish you all the best for a very happy new year. May 2022 be the year you decide to work productively AND make time to rest.

P.S. Today is the last day to save $1,000 with the Early Bird Bonus for our next Leading Yourself and Leading Others Experience. There are limited places left. For more information check out https://shirleydalton.com/leading-yourself-leading-others-may2020/. Experience starts Thursday 10^th February.

P.P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

From John Lennon’s song,

“So this is Christmas and what have you done?

Another year over, a new one just begun.”

What a year we’ve all had.

For this 600^th weekly thought, I simply want to wish you and yours a very happy and healthy and safe Christmas.

My heart goes out to those who are ill and those who are isolating over the Christmas period. I’ve got the healing fairies on high alert and ready to fly wherever needed.

There have been many challenges this year which have also brought many insights and appreciation for the simple things like being able to hang out with your family; being able to hug someone and shake hands; being able to travel and eat out; being able to work and being able to learn.

As we head into a couple of weeks of rest and relaxation, I encourage you to take a few moments to reflect on the year that’s been and as challenging as it has been, note the things that you are grateful for and the things that you would have previously taken for granted.

I’m grateful for you, showing up every week to read my thoughts.

I’m grateful for my work and my clients. I love both dearly.

I’m grateful for Ross, my lifetime adventure partner and biggest supporter.

I’m grateful for my friends and for my family.

I’m grateful for my health.

I’m grateful for the bountiful food we enjoy and the water we have on tap.

I’m grateful for my car and for having easily sold Contessa.

How about you, what are you grateful for?

What have you done this year?

So this is Christmas….. Another Year Over

Wishing you the best of everything.

Can’t help myself – remember Life is always working for you, even if at times, it’s not to your preference.

Happy Holidays!

P.S. Only a week to register if you want to save $1,000 on our next Leading Yourself and Leading Others Experience. There are limited places left. For more information check out https://shirleydalton.com/leading-yourself-leading-others-may2020/. Experience starts Thursday 10^th February and Early Bird Discount ends 31^st December.

P.P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

You know I subscribe to the belief that we are vibrational beings and with that belief, I expect things to show up when I decide I want something.

I set my intention and then become curious about how it will manifest.

This week we decided to buy a lounge. Nothing special about that, except we needed it asap because we are moving into a house and we’d sold just about everything when we decided to travel.

Ross looked online but nothing seemed suitable.

We went to a few furniture places, again nothing was suitable and there was little available.

We drove 2.5 hours to Ikea and we found something that could work but the delivery date would be the end of January.

We needed something in the next few days.

We drove back to Newcastle just in time for Ross to pick up a dining table and chairs from a guy who was moving to another state.

My uncle agreed to store it for us for a few days.

We unloaded the table and chairs and then sat on a sofa chatting with my uncle.

“Would you like to take this too?” he offered.

“Wow!” I thought. “There’s the Universe working for us.”

“Yes please and thank you”.

The next day I was mentioning to a friend that we were moving and had been looking for a lounge and she offered for us to borrow her old one until our new one arrives.

Even though I expect things to show up, I’m still amazed and delighted how the Universe works.

All I can say is, “Be open to how it shows up because it always does”.

P.S. We’ve set the dates for our next Leading Yourself and Leading Others Experience for 2022. If you’re thinking about embracing change and having some support, check out https://shirleydalton.com/leading-yourself-leading-others-may2020/. Experience starts Thursday 10^th February and Early Bird Discount ends 31^st December (saving $1,000).

P.P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.

After almost 3 years travelling and living in a motorhome, we’ve decided to sell Contessa and settle down for a while.

The past few weeks I’ve been getting really excited about having a bath and a wardrobe (closet for our US friends).

Have you ever noticed that we can take so many little things for granted and after a while when you don’t have them you start to crave them?

I’ve been fantasising about hanging my clothes up in a wardrobe instead of having to stuff them into a satchel that sits on the floor.

I’ve been imagining immersing myself in a bathtub full of warm water and bubbles or relaxation salts.

Oh, the joy of these small things.

And now to the real message, when it’s time to change direction, you know.

You start focussing on all the things that are going wrong.

You start to complain about things that didn’t bother you before.

You find yourself cranky and short tempered.

Take notice of how you feel because your feelings are merely guideposts.

They catch your attention and tell you it’s time to change.

It might be to change something about yourself or it might be to change your home or work environment.

Change is a necessary part of life.

Change gives us the opportunity to learn and grow and develop.

Do not fear change.

Change happens whether you like it or not.

For example, on some level you may not be happy in your work, or not like the people on your team, and yet you are unwilling to embrace the change, so what happens? The Universe steps in to nudge you along. You find your work conditions change without your input and not necessarily to your liking. New team members show up. You get a new boss. You get retrenched.

When change is needed, in fact, required, I urge you to take action. By taking action, you give the Universe or Infinite Intelligence an opportunity to co-respond with you.

When it’s time to change, stop holding on to the past. Let go and embrace the new.

I’m looking forward to a bath and a wardrobe. What are you looking forward to?

P.S. We’ve set the dates for our next Leading Yourself and Leading Others Experience for 2022. If you’re thinking about embracing change and having some support, check out https://shirleydalton.com/leading-yourself-leading-others-may2020/. Experience starts Thursday 10^th February and Early Bird Discount ends 31^st December (saving $1,000).

P.P.S. Invite your friends to get the Weekly Thoughts delivered directly to their inbox. Go to https://shirleydalton.com/weekly-thoughts.