Ho Ho Ho?

Many people (many of whom are gainfully employed) look forward to this time of year...the holidays. They cheerfully bake, send cards, shop, wrap gifts, attend parties and indulge, take time off of work or school and christmas carol with abundant glee. Others get overwhelmed by the busy busy-ness of all they have to do and find the season more stressful than fun.

Others, like me, fall in between. We aren't quite as jolly about December, but don't stress out, either. Corporate America (including the publishing and advertising industries) seems to pretty much shut down from Thanksgiving through the first week of January. So there are fewer auditions (though I've had two so far this week, yea) and thus fewer jobs and less income. Chances are very slim I'll hear about outstanding manuscript submissions or obtain any new clients.

While I'm glad I still get sent out for mom roles, I see younger, wrinkle-free whippersnappers and know I've gotten a year older. It's challenging for me to appreciate the many things I have accomplished and not think about the things I haven't.

I enjoy down time (my DVR is filled with shows I"m looking forward to watching), but not wasting time or extended periods without feeling productive. So I'm going to make the most of the holiday slowdown by preparing for the new year. I'll clean out all my files (paper and computer), closets and drawers. I'll catch up and spend quality time with friends, and tackle the projects on my list without deadlines that still need to be done. This year, I'm also rehearsing every day for a musical revue, completing a non-fiction project and working on the Web site for that plus researching what kind of new computer to get (and because there are so many options and features that in itself could take a month...any advice?).

I'll also set goals for January so I can start off 2011 on the right foot instead of exhausted from the hustle bustle. What's your holiday plan?

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