The Craziest Time of Year

Posted On: 2009-12-24

Oh boy am I ever glad that the pre-Christmas rush is just about over. Here in Australia it's Christmas Eve and the supermarket is just crazy ... there are people wandering around there like they're lost or something. I swear I saw at least two guys who have never been in a supermarket before wandering around in a daze trying to find what they had been sent to buy.

Now who in their right mind would send someone who never shops to a supermarket on Christmas Eve? Fortunately Steve and I only had to get a few things so we managed to scoot through the aisles in hardly any time at all. But I would not have wanted to have been trying to do our normal weekly grocery shopping today ... I'd be insane by the time I'd finished and there would be road-kill on the front of the shopping trolley.

We didn't even try to go shopping at the mall ... at 8am the mall's car park was full so I can just imagine what it must have been like inside the building.

Of course right there is a selling point if you're doing some marketing over in mainstream. Every year the malls are getting more and more crowded at this time of year so it's getting easier to convince people to shop online this Christmas.

Some times I think I should take my own advice ... I only bought one gift online this year ... but after the experience I'm sure going to do a whole lot more online shopping next year.

Oh well, at least I can get over all that trauma tomorrow. Last year we had 39 people for Christmas lunch as lots of my family got together for the big day but tomorrow there will be just three of us and all we're going to do is sitting out on the back deck and relaxing.

Of course Christmas isn't like that for everyone ... there are lots of very lonely people around at this time of year and your adult sites might just see a nice little surge in traffic and signups over the next few days. Obviously there are lonely people all over the Net every day of the year but for some reason Christmas really seems to be hard for them so they look for escape in adult sites.

Turning those people from surfers into members of your sponsors' paysites isn't all that hard at this time of year but you do have to give them a reason for joining. They want to be part of something and perhaps the chance to be part of a crazy bunch of people who are enjoying all the great porn your sponsors are offering is what you should be offering people.

Put that thought in their mind that they can be part of a group may be all it will take to give them some quality content and put some money in your pocket.

And while you're working at connecting those lonely surfers with some great porn don't forget to take the time to connect with your family too. Don't even think of building a free site or gallery on Christmas Day ... in fact try not to go near your computer at all unless it's to connect with some family who can't be with you tomorrow.

I know that it's easy to suggest that you don't touch your computer and a whole lot harder to do in reality but we spend our lives in front of our computers and it's important to have a break so make Christmas Day a day to step away from your computer and spend it having some quality time with your family.

Don't rush back to work on the day after Christmas either. If you can stretch the time you take off to include an extra day then do it because when you spend time away from the computer you almost always come back fresher and keener to go on building your empire.

Steve and I will actually be away from the computer for four whole days. While you're enjoying your Christmas Day Steve and I will be on the road on one of our long road trips again and we are really looking forward to it.

This time we're going to be away for the three days after Christmas tracing some parts of my family tree. Some of my ancestors were very interesting people and I've got a rare chance to visit an old family cemetery that's normally covered in water so we're loading up our cameras and heading off into one of the hottest parts of the next State.

We're also going to spend some time catching up with some elderly relatives who may not be here this time next year ... and there's another reason why you shouldn't neglect your extended family this Christmas. You may never have a better time to talk to them and enjoy their company than you will this Christmas.

So have a great Christmas and enjoy your family ... it's almost certainly the greatest gift you will ever have.