So the holidays are in full swing now, and as I sit here getting lost in my to-do list, I’ll give you ONE guess what’s on my mind.

(No. Not all the fab Stella and Dot jewelry I’ve been drooling over, but that’s a close second!)

Like you, I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes next.

It’s funny, because the holidays are supposed to be our chance to recoup, break out our best bottle of wine (Valpolicella Ripasso for me!), and chill with the fam. But instead, we do-it-all ladies buy a one-way ticket to crazytown.

We get busy playing hostess, cooking up a storm, running around retail malls with bulky bags hanging off our arms (because of course, we like to follow the “one for you, one for me!” philosophy.)

And after all that, we usher in the New Year and start chasing our goals all over again—without even coming up for air!

This is our “doing” mentality coming out, ladies!

I totally get it. Even I find myself falling back into that default “doing” mentality sometimes, and it’s an easy habit to get into when you’re so driven to succeed.

I’m not saying being goal-oriented is such a bad thing. But think about it. We spend every waking hour in the office and cancel lunch dates planned with the girls—because we really should wrap up that project before we clock out for the day.

We say “yes” to every project that lands on our desk—because we really should appreciate these opportunities for career growth.

Instead of soaking in our accomplishments, we move on to the thing on our list—because we really should keep striving for more.

Um, holy overwhelm! How can we ever be expect to enjoy the here and now if we’re always focused on the chase instead of actually taking time to relish our achievements?

To avoid letting ourselves become an afterthought, we need to dip one foot in the mindset of “being”.

Don’t get me wrong. Our careers are tied tight to our identities and they’re so, SO important. But when we stay in do-mode day in and day out—we don’t give ourselves the chance to push the pause button, reflect, and actually reap the rewards of all our hard work.

Because when you allow yourself to “just be” once in a while (whether that’s to stay in your pjs a little longer in the morning, take a long bath or curl up with a good book before bed), you fill yourself up with the kind of joy and happiness that extends to everyone in your orbit—and gives you the confidence to shine brighter than ever.

This week, I’d love to hear from you: What’s one thing you’d like to do this year to bring yourself more personal fulfillment? What core desires have you been neglecting? Be sure to leave a comment below!