‘Tis the season… to be flexible! 3 Tips for a Happy, Productive Holiday Season
If you have ever had the pleasure to know a US Marine, you have undoubtedly heard the motto “Semper Fidelis”‑ always faithful. When I worked in the defense industry, people would often quip, “Semper Gumby” as a tongue-in-cheek response to plans that had to be changed at the last minute. Back then I was able to change carefully laid plans on the fly as circumstances dictated, but not without a certain amount of grumbling and judgment.
OK- I whined a lot. I admit it!
Today things are different. As I worked with colleagues this week to finalize plans for a conference we have been preparing for over several months, I found that I was able to do it with a smile. That isn’t to say that I was the epitome of nonattachment and sweetness, but I did maintain my neutrality and appreciate that things would work out for the best.
What was different?
First of all, I was working with a team of people whom I know to be reliable. Experience has taught me that when we get down to the wire, I can count on the people I am working with.
Second, I don’t have a preconceived idea of perfection for this event. In principle, it is a flexible, emergent, living thing‑ a gathering of brilliant, fun, unpredictable scholars. As this is my fourth year helping out with this project, I have come to marvel at and enjoy whatever pops up. That isn’t to say that there weren’t some parts of the process that I was disappointed with. There is certainly room for improvement, particularly vis a vis my own efforts, but I can accept the lessons and move on to more productive occupations than grousing about it.
Third, it would seem that I have grown a sense of humor! As I become more humble and accepting of my own shortcomings and those of others, I find that I laugh a lot more than I used to and that seems to make everything work out better. Think about it. Everybody wants to help out the happy person, far more than those who visibly demonstrate feeling out of sorts. Who would have suspected it? Pleasant people get more help!
Let’s recap these tools for increasing flexibility.
Work with people you can count on.
Let go of preconceived ideas of perfection.
Laugh.
I chose this splits pose variation to illustrate this post because it requires a lot of flexibility. It isn’t just the obvious, physical flexibility that we gain one centimeter at a time over years of practice, but also the mental flexibility to even attempt something new, and then improvise as we build our skills.
So how about you?
In the midst of holiday parties, end of year deadlines, and surprise visits from loved ones, can you smile and be flexible? The results can be really great‑ both professionally and personally!
Copyright Gly Solutions, LLC 2014
