GETTING BACK TO WORK
n December, I got really, really sick. I was either shiveringly cold or, as my husband told me, “too hot to touch.” Mostly, though, I was exhausted. I’d sleep for 10 hours, then wake for 10 minutes, and find I needed to go back to sleep. I had no appetite—though if I had, I couldn’t stay awake long enough to eat anything. It was pretty awful. I had to cancel a bunch of meetings, a few trainings, and any thoughts I had to plan for the coming year.
By New Year’s Eve, I was feeling almost human. But I have to admit, it's been hard getting back to work.
It may just be because it is January—it is always a bit of a let down after the frantic end of the year stuff, especially for fundraisers. We are so focused on ending the calendar year with a bang. There is the end-of-year appeal, often a gala, trying to close that really big gift. And if you are at an organization that is not fundraising to build but, rather, to fill a gap, then you may working even harder.
When I was fundraising for large universities, while the rest of the institution was off having winter break, we were breaking our backs, trying to bring in those dollars. I remember several New Year’s Eves being the one who had to be in the office in case a big donor called. Yes, this was before cell phones.
Important as end-of-the year is, starting the new year right is equally important. This is a great time to work on bringing back lapsed donors. It’s also a good time to launch a new initiative (though, full disclosure, it would be better if this initiative you are launching has been in the planning stage since the summer). It’s also a great time to recalibrate your fundraising goals.
It’s tempting to just rest on your laurels, or take it slow—after all, there are 11 more months to follow. But the more you wait, the harder it gets. As I’ve been not wanting to get on with it, I thought about a good friend who took a month off from the gym last year. He needed, he said, to give it a rest. Alas, that was in September. Haven’t seen him at the gym since. But I did run into him not long ago….and honestly, he needs to get back to his workouts.
It’s the same for any kind of work. Sometimes, you just have to do it (sorry Nike). And usually, once you do, you’ll remember why you chose this work and why you generally feel lucky that you did!