What is it that people love about Easter and Christmas?

Just recently I was thinking about the Christmas and New Year period coming up. It is no secret I and many others look forward to this time of the year. But it really hit home to me recently why the holiday season is so widely anticipated. In fact people actually do some pretty silly things over this period.

While I'm not here to rant about what you eat, drink and how much activity you carry out over the festive season holiday period or Easter it will all tie in nicely together. See I was discussing the holiday plans with a mate over Christmas and he was so excited he could hardly contain himself. So I tried it with a few other friends and the same response was noted. And they all came up with the same reason for this excitement. They didn't have to do anything, be anywhere or answer to anyone. In other words totally switch off. This may not sound like anything new to you but answer me this. Why do you wait till the end of the year to switch off completely.

If it is so enjoyable as everyone reports wouldn't more regular short breaks/timeouts be beneficial. I know they are but the majority of us don't do it. Here's a great way for you in 2009 to ensure your whole year is littered with complete switch off periods on top of Christmas and Easter.

1. Plan your 2009 breaks now and record them in a diary or on the calender. Commit to them and let someone know so you will be held accountable. There should be 2 0r 3 on top of Easter and Christmas. Book the time off now and more importantly book your accommodation so you have no excuse to get out of it
2. Go hard and work to achieve outcomes in these time frames. Have a plan so you are totally focused on achieving outcomes in this period and will use the break as a celebration for your success. Get that must do attitude that will ensure you fulfill your desired outcomes or goals so you will learn that achievement is followed by a reward, so you start to become an achiever not just a plodder.
3. Have fun. No work, personal development or anything related to work should be contemplated in this 2, 3 or 4 day period. This is a total switch off period where you do whatever you like but it must excite you in a way that encourages you to keep having these mini breaks.

Not that I have this mastered yet either but I keep coming back to this time and time again. It's not the quantity it's the quality. Your lifestyle needs to be top quality with intense ups (switched ons) and more intense downs (switched offs). Again quality not quantity.