Have you absolutely HAD it with “Black Friday” deals months early already? I know have! There have been more and more early sales and it’s not just Black Friday. However, I know, right down to my core, that we can do Black Friday differently, and WAY better, especially with some help from Infostack. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me explain.
This year, I needed to pick up a Halloween item for one of my kids on October 28th (note, this is BEFORE actual Halloween!) and the store I went to had taken all the Halloween items and crammed them onto part of one shelf so they could start putting out the Christmas/Holiday items already! What in the world? After 3 stores where it was a similar situation, I gave up entirely and we did Halloween without the missing piece of the costume.
It totally felt like one more thing getting rushed through to get on to the next thing. So yeah. I get it if you’re Black Friday’ed out already since it seems to have started in October.
And here’s my other not-so-secret secret: Black Friday is an event that I normally try to avoid. I get absolutely no joy out of the idea of getting up at 3am and standing in line (in usually cold Wisconsin weather!) to get my hands on the “it” gift of the season. I don’t like large crowds or long lines or hurrying to grab things before they run out.
So what do I do then? I choose to Black Friday differently.
It’s an intentional choice that I encourage everyone to make. I’m not saying not to do the usual Black Friday things. If you enjoy them, rock on! Keep doing it. What I’m advocating for is paying attention to what you enjoy and what you don’t and then making adjustments to anything that isn’t working for you anymore.
It’s the exact process I coach my clients through when it comes to work and life. Of course, I’ve also gone through this process multiple times as I refine what feels most aligned to who I am today and who I am becoming.
And because of that process, the entire week that contains Black Friday is one of my favorite weeks of the year! I choose to stay home rather than travel out of obligation. I choose to be intentional about who I spend my time with and what we spend our time doing.
What does that look like?
At my house, it’s been renamed Family Fun Week and it’s filled with silly, made-up traditions like jersey day and watching and eating Grinches (green grape, mini marshmallow, raspberry… yum!) and putting on Love Actually for what feels like the thousandth time. We also bake (and eat!) lots of cookies.
Sounds pretty awesome, huh?
Basically, I get to spend quality time together with my immediate family before the busy-ness of the holiday season sets in. And the best part is I put on my elastic waist pants, eat my most favorite foods, and watch holiday movies from the comfort of my home.
Instead of a stress/adrenaline-filled race to snag stuff, I enjoy a restorative time for me that I look forward to all year.
Does that mean I refuse consumerism in all its forms and live a life without modern conveniences? Of course not. Again, it’s about intentionality. I approach this time of year as mindfully as I can, including keeping lists of gift ideas for everyone on my holiday shopping list.
I don’t buy stuff on Black Friday week/weekend because it’s on sale. When I choose to buy, it’s something I was already planning on getting that also happens to be a good deal. I love being able to give the perfect gift to people. There is immense joy watching someone open up a gift and for them to be truly excited and grateful to receive it.
Like I said, I Black Friday differently. I choose to make my own traditions.
And this year, I had a brand new, exciting choice to make!
For the first time ever, Infostack has assembled the biggest collection of resources for Women’s Confidence and Career and my Next Level Success Masterclass is one of the many awesome things you’ll find in it!
I’ll admit, when I was first approached to be included in this incredibly awesome collection that just so happens to occur during Black Friday week, I was initially a little conflicted.
Here’s how the conversation went down in my brain:
“Well… I’m passionate about helping women step into all levels of leadership to create more equity so this would be a fantastic bundle to be a part of.”
“But… I’m also passionate about wearing my “give-ups” (aka sweatpants) for multiple days straight.”
“Can I do both?”
And the answer is YES! It doesn’t have to be an either/or choice. It absolutely can be a both/and situation where I help more women with their careers WHILE I wear sweatpants, which is why I said yes to the opportunity to have my masterclass included in this incredible bundle from Infostack.
Of course, that doesn’t change my plan to Black Friday differently, so I needed to make sure it was still authentically me, give-ups and all. And I want YOU to do the same too!
Ask yourself when was the last time you did something ONLY for YOU? When was the last time you invested in your own GROWTH and development? When was the last time you made TIME for yourself?
If you’re like most women (or if you’re thinking about the women you know and love), it’s been a really LONG time.
This is where the Women’s Confidence and Career bundle from Infostack makes your life EASIER! You don’t have to research a whole bunch of stuff or spend hours trying to figure out what to Google. They’ve pulled together an amazing collection of experts that you can access with a single click here.
I hope you’ll choose to join me in the elastic waist pants extravaganza as we do Black Friday differently (and better!).
And feel free to check out the amazing confidence and career collection from Infostack that I’m honored to be featured in if you’ll find it valuable (and I think you will!). And while we’re at it, feel free to change up any holiday or day of the week into something that is more aligned and authentically you.
To making our own traditions!
P.S. Here’s me enjoying my jersey & give-ups.
Please note that I’m sharing The Women’s Confidence and Career Super Stack as an affiliate, so when you use my link to buy, I will get a small percentage of the proceeds but at no extra cost to you.