How are you feeling?
Are you tired or energised?
Are you eagerly counting down the days until the buzz of the Summer Holidays arrives, or are you quietly looking forward to February 1 when you feel like things are “finally back to normal” again?
For me, it’s mixed emotions.
It’s summoning the energy to head into our busiest time of the year, with a sense of fun and excitement, while trying to refill my tank after what always seems like a marathon effort to get here.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that I should be quite familiar with this routine, the juggle of the numbers and the forecasting of stock (seeing as though this is my 11th, or is it 12th year of doing it?!) but no, each year is hard, and this year is no different!
In business there’s a saying. You have to have it, to sell it. But it’s a fine line. And while it’s one we’ve traveled many times before, that still doesn’t remove the pressure.
This year, like every year, I have spent hours upon hours researching what I think will be the best items to stock our shelves with. There are so many considerations and I need to factor them all.
There’s one thing I need to remember though, and it’s a good reminder for us all at this time of the year…
Somehow it always, always comes together.
Now this fact is one for all of us to keep close in mind as we near the end of the year. There’s a lot of planning that happens at this time of the year, there’s delegation and preparation, and even at times a little stress.
But you know what? It always, always comes together.
Sure, someone might have forgotten to bring the trifle to the family BBQ at Shelley’s, but no doubt Aunt Ida will have brought an extra Pav, just in case.
See… it always, always comes together.
Take this article for example. An hour or two ago, I didn’t have any idea of what I was going to share with you this month. But after a little thought and some tapping away on the keyboard, my mantra has once again come true… don’t stress, because it always, always comes together!
I must admit I did cast my memory back to the article I shared last December, to see what inspired me last year (when I was only two articles into my Monthly Musings) and the subject theme was somewhat similar to what I felt I needed to share this month.
It seems as though most people I meet and have the opportunity to converse with at this time of the year are all feeling similar to me.
“We’re nearly there!” I often hear; “Not long now and we can have a break”, “Bring on the Summer Holidays” are all common themes as I wander the floor of the shop, hoping that my presence might be able to assist all those people who are “trying to get inspiration for presents” (see what I did there?!)
This also brings me back to another similar thought I shared last year.
That while we’re “all in the same boat” this time of the year is definitely not the same for all of us. Some are celebrating and sharing in the excitement of new life, some a remembering those who won’t be at the dinner table for the first time this year… others (like us) are simply looking forward to a few days off, our businesses closed and resting, waiting for a fresh start when the doors reopen.
So, whatever your tradition is as you near the end of the year, I hope you, like me are looking forward to seeing my now famous tag line comes to fruition.
Please don’t worry about trying to do everything, because I promise…
It will always, always come together xx
