The Most Important Work You’ll Do This Christmas
As this year draws to a close and as this is my last article until January, I want to take a moment to wish you a genuinely Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
But more than that, I want to invite you to do something that, if we’re honest, doesn’t come naturally to most driven business owners and leaders: stop for a moment and be present.
We spend most of the year chasing outcomes. Targets. Numbers. Delivery dates. Fixing problems. Carrying responsibility. Being the one who holds it all together. And while that’s part of the job, it comes at a cost if we never put it down.
Christmas gives us permission to do exactly that—if we choose to take it.
Being present doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means being where you are. Putting the phone down. Listening properly. Giving someone your full attention instead of half of it while your head is somewhere else. It means enjoying the company you’re with without thinking about what needs doing next.
It also means taking the time to say the things we’re usually too busy to say.
Send the message you’ve been meaning to send.
Make the call you’ve been putting off.
Give the compliment you assumed someone already knew.
Tell a member of your team you noticed the effort they put in this year. Tell a client you appreciate their trust. Tell your partner or your kids that you’re proud of them. These things matter more than we realise, and they cost us nothing but a little attention.
What’s interesting is this: stepping back doesn’t make you weaker—it makes you better.
When you allow yourself to properly switch off, to recharge, to reconnect with the people who matter most, you don’t lose momentum. You come back clearer, stronger, and more focused. You make better decisions. You show up with more energy. You’re more patient, more intentional, and more effective.
Too many people limp into January already exhausted, carrying the weight of a year they never fully processed. That’s not a badge of honour. It’s a warning sign.
So this Christmas, give yourself permission to rest without guilt.
Be present without distraction.
Enjoy the moments that won’t come around again in quite the same way.
The work will still be there.
The goals will still matter.
But you’ll return to them with a better version of yourself if you take this time seriously.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone I’ve worked with, spoken to, challenged, and learned from this year. Thank you for the trust, the conversations, and the commitment to building something better—whether that’s in your business, your leadership, or yourself.
Enjoy the time.
Value the people.
Say the words.
I’ll see you in the New Year—rested, recharged, and ready to move forward with clarity and purpose.
Merry Christmas, and here’s to a strong and intentional year ahead.
By Andy Walter
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