Krug: A Little Holiday Distraction is a Good Thing

It’s easy to become distracted during the holidays. There are so many things that compete for our focus that it’s nearly impossible to stay on point. A steady stream of parties. Kids’ pageants and events. Charitable functions galore. Gift getting and gift giving. Visitors in town, throwing off the synchronicity of our flow. Trips out of town to see relatives through rain, ice, sleet and snow – or all of them if your travels take you anywhere near my home base of Chicago. The list could be endless if we allowed it to be, making December a veritable whirlwind of things that compete for all facets of focus. But let me offer to you but one thought: That is a good thing. Disruptions are healthy, and to be expected. How we deal with them is the truest measure of our professional focus. I mostly write about leadership in the context of business. I have a passion for companies that inspire to achieve and for the people that power our workplaces through their thoughts, words and actions. But I am a firm believer that leaders also are human beings, and while the best leaders probably go into sleep mode rather than flick an on/off switch. A little distraction now and again is good for us, and falling victim to overscheduling ourselves isn’t only normal, but it’s probably unavoidable at certain times of life. Obviously, it’s not productive if everything on our schedule collides and nothing is accomplished. But busy beats the snot out of idle. Active people that are engaged in things that are important to them are good for their organizations – provided they can balance the barrage against what needs to be accomplished at work. Perhaps, when viewed in the context of the entire year, your December was a little soft. Maybe you didn’t hit as many of your business targets as was possible. It may have been the worst statistical month you’ve had in the entire year. Each of us has just enough insight to know whether we gave it our all, or some percentage of such. In this season of reflection and peace, there’s also a little bit of room for contemplation and self-evaluation. If we were out of balance this holiday season, and we weren’t at our best in the first 24 days of December, there are still a few days to adjust our gauges and get it right before each of us gets a new sheet in 2014. I’ll take that on next time in this space. Merry Christmas, everyone.

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As always, stay classy.

(And go see Anchorman 2, in theaters now – finally.) Chris Krug is president of the progressive media communications firm No Limit Agency* in Chicago. No Limit is a full-service agency whose practice focuses on strategy, brand management, creative campaigns and delivering unparalleled placement in the media. No Limit Agency works with some of the best-known brands in North America, and that’s not a coincidence. Contact Krug by calling 312-526-3996 or via email at [email protected].