Now that the holidays are finally upon us, it’s time to sit back, slow down and take stock of all the things we’ve learned over the past year. With holiday parties gearing up, visions of shiny gifts dancing through our heads and the prospect of a little time off becoming ever-more realistic, work is supposed to start winding down so we can enjoy some of this stuff, right?
Not even close.
Here around the Articulate offices, you’d swear that December was any other month in the calendar year. Teams are continuing full steam ahead on 2010 planning, strategic outreach campaigns, meetings with terrific current, new and prospective clients and scoring big client successes (witness Antenna Software and Cycle Computing in this year’s just-announced InfoWorld 100). Make no mistake, we’ve certainly got a sweet holiday party on the horizon (hat tip to the boss – a.k.a. @lauragrimmer – for that). Of course we’ll also be conducting the traditional Articulate Holiday Gift Exchange, as it really wouldn’t be December without it. Other than this, though, it’s pretty much business-as-usual around these parts.
This is a good thing. The holidays are a wonderful, joyous time and using this month to take stock of the previous year is a perfectly noble intention, to be sure. Yet it can also distract us from the task at hand, and when it comes down to it, the thing that truly makes the holidays feel special is the feeling that we’ve earned them.
Here at Articulate, we’re earning every bit of them. The gifts will be given, the trees will get decorated and the eggnog will be drunk – for those who like that sort of thing. But finding the balance between revelry and the satisfaction of a job well done is what ultimately makes for a truly Happy Holiday.
By Mark Van Hook