If you can't do it at Christmas, when can you?

I was having an interesting chat with an Editor friend today - it turns out that someone, somewhere sent out a press release on Christmas Day - (although she's only opened the email today). You have to give 10 out of 10 for dedication.

My intention for my Christmas holiday was to do as little as possible. Because to quote a line from one of my favourite Christmas movies 'if you can't do it at Christmas, when can you'? (I might have paraphrased that a bit.)

I find it's the one time in the year we are more likely to get away with it: emails aren't rushing in and out, so it's calming to leave the phone and laptop alone except just to check in for urgent stuff*. The sun is largely not shining, so it feels good to cosy up inside. I escaped nasty viruses so any time I spent watching Netflix was because I wanted to. I napped. Wonderfully, 'should' was a word that I dropped for several days on the trot.

Lovely family and wonderful friends were nearby for companionship, laughs and hugs. Food was on my table and wine seemed to find its way miraculously into my glass. It felt lovely to have met new people this year who will hopefully make a wonderful impact on years to come, as well as know of current work and new opportunities that continue to fill me with energy and purpose.

I'm a believer in the little joys. But actually Christmas 2018 - apart from sticking my hand down a smelly, horribly blocked-up drain, before giving up and calling in the cavalry - was a great, big, fat joy.

I hope you had a wonderful time to have fun and rest; to dust yourself off ready for 2019. We'll be creating news editorial opportunities for all our lovely clients with recharged batteries. Sometimes, a few days off is really all you need.

*Beautifully, three client opportunities were well worth actioning over the holidays - helping journalists at the Express, the FT and BBC.