CD That's Me

Seriously.How. The. Hell. Is. It. September?

I feel like five minutes ago I was talking about summer plans, packing for Europe, promising myself I wasn’t going to overpack, drinking something cold outside and convincing myself that fall was still very far away.

And then — BAM. . . September.

And apparently everyone got the same memo that summer is over because people have been CRAZY. Is there something in the air? The eclipse? A full moon? Mercury doing something it shouldn’t be doing? Did everyone collectively wake up last week and realize there are only four months left in the year? Because suddenly everything is urgent.

Emails are flying. Decisions that have been sitting around for weeks suddenly need to be made TODAY. People are asking questions about things we discussed three months ago. Calendars are filling up. Everyone wants a meeting. Everyone needs an answer. Everyone is acting like a crazy person – I actually fit right in.

And for those of us in the event world, September isn't really the beginning of fall. It's the starting gun.

My fall calendar is packed with events, travel, clients, deadlines, production schedules and approximately 8,468 tiny details that will eventually need an answer.

And I love it. I really do. MOST OF THE TIME.

There is something about event season that energizes me. I love watching all the pieces finally come together. I love the creativity, the problem solving, the adrenaline, the people and, yes, even a little bit of the chaos. Mind you, not a shit ton of chaos but just enough to make you feel like a girl boss at times.

But I've also been doing this long enough to know that you can't go into a crazy event season already running on empty.So, this year I'm trying to prepare for the season the same way I prepare for an event. Before everyone gets in the room.

A few things I do every season and that I keep reminding myself when things get out of control (let’s not count today when I called a vendor a “dick” – well not really, but I told him to stop acting like one).

Anyway first, I have to mentally accept that the next few months are going to be busy. Like really busy - the kind of busy that makes you wonder if I should go back on my anxiety meds.

There will be early mornings, late nights, flights, hotel rooms, last-minute changes and at least one moment when someone asks me something completely insane and expects an immediate answer.

Accepting that actually helps and for the first time in years, I started to embrace it this week. Sure, I vented, sent some questionable texts but I absorbed as much aggravation as I could without losing my cool. And then I just let it go and moved on.

I moved on. Who is this somewhat sane person and what did you do with CD? Instead of fighting the vendor more, complaining about the schedule, or pointing a finger, I let it go and found another answer and solution. I'm going to look at the entire season and figure out where my pressure points are going to be ahead of time and mentally prep for those. That way I will get ahead and have enough fuel in the tank to tackle the issues that come up liie they did today, all the time.

Okay next I have to make time for me. This is the part I haven't always been particularly good at. When things get busy, the first things to disappear are usually the things that actually make us function better. Like sleep, exercise, getting fresh air and eating better.

This season I'm trying to think about stamina instead of survival. I don't need to become a wellness influencer. Trust me, that isn't happening.But I do need to take care of the person who is supposed to execute all these events. Walk. Stretch. Sleep. Hydrate. Pamper. Eat well. Make time for family and friends and put the damn phone down.

Another thing to try is to protect your personal time. I love having something to look forward to. I love dinners, travel, seeing friends, trying new restaurants and saying yes to things. But when your work calendar is already packed, every open night doesn't need to become another plan. Sometimes the plan needs to be – stay home in our comfies, play with Willie the Woodle, get personal projects done, clean out the closets. Watch TV and do nothing. Saying no is okay.

AND MY FAVORITE way to prepare for when the crazy really starts: Get Organized! Every event producer knows there is a point where your brain simply cannot be the storage facility anymore. Whatever system works for you — USE IT. I use trackers because I want everything out of my head and somewhere I can actually find it. My coordinagors know this. It helps me because I want to be able to support the team that is supporting me by showing them I can lead, teach, inspire, kick ass and throw a great party.

When you're buried in logistics, it's very easy to forget why you started doing this in the first place. I get to create experiences and bring people together. And I get to have some fun along the way.

It's all part of it. So ladies start your engines (shout in my next post if you can tell me where that quote is from - there is another hint in this post) Its going to be one hell of a ride.

I'm going into it organized, hydrated, slightly over-caffeinated and determined to protect at least a little bit of my sanity. And if everyone could just calm the hell down for approximately 48 hours, that would be great.

See you on the other side.