If you’re self-employed, this may be the year to consider holding a solopreneur holiday office party. For those of us, who are your own boss, you realize that you’re missing out on these fun celebrations.
This year, you may have noticed more signs of holiday office parties, on social media. Business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. recently held a survey on this topic. The results show, 56.9% of companies report they are having in-person holiday parties this year, up from 26.6% who reported this last year.
This motivated me to create a fun video about the challenges for solopreneurs, when it comes to the holiday office party.
While the video is designed to entertain, it does highlight some important issues. In today’s economy, more people are running their own businesses. And while they enjoy calling all the shots, they miss out on some of the perks you receive at larger businesses.
These holiday parties, while intended to be fun, do play an important role in the well-being of a business. That’s led to me to outline some things the self-employed may want to include in their soloprenuer holiday office party.
Create Anticipation
People like looking forward to things. Set a date for when you will stop working and spend some time celebrating your accomplishments. If your celebration is just some vague time in the future, then it will likely never happen or be pushed back by new issues.
A good date may naturally emerge, as certain holiday times see you have very little business. Also, remember that while there will always be important things that need to be done, taking care of your mental health should also be on the list.
Think About Fun
Decide what your solopreneur holiday office party would look like. What is a realistic treat you will enjoy? Maybe you give yourself some time off or go somewhere for an experience you enjoy.
This needs to be outside of your regular work routine. For the self-employed, routines are very important. But while they ensure you’re making progress toward your goals, they can start to feel restrictive.
Perhaps something fun is more like gifting yourself 15 minutes a day, for a week, when you can take a walk outside.
In whatever form it takes, your celebration should feel like something special.
Reconnect
Office parties give colleagues a chance to get to know one another in a different venue. When you’re working on your own, you can feel isolated. Talking to yourself does not qualify as socializing.
You may want to take some time to reconnect with friends or former colleagues. This isn’t a work event but rather a social call.
Even if this is just done through Zoom, you’ll likely feel energized by the non-work interaction.
Don’t Feel Guilty
For the solopreneur, there will always be one more thing you need to accomplish. That drive is important but you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking some time for yourself.
Constantly working usually leads to a decrease in performance. Take the time to celebrate your accomplishments.
Let’s Create a Memorable Meeting
