What is the story behind the name?
December 26er (pronounced “twenty sixer”) – a big dreamer who strives to be extraordinary on an ordinary day.
Growing up, Christmas was my favorite holiday. But unlike most kids, my love affair with the Yuletide had nothing to do with gifts. I was enthralled by the music, decorations, school recitals, holiday parties, even the smell of the tree (to this day, this is still probably my favorite thing about Christmas…along with the cinnamon-scented pine cones being hocked by every crafts store and big box retailer known to man).
Every year on Christmas Eve, my mother would leave the tree lights on all night, and every year around 4:00 AM, I would tiptoe to the living room to check out the scene. I never got close enough to inspect any of the gifts. It wasn’t about that at all. Knowing that all those lights and decorations would soon be shoved in a box and the tree dragged to the curb, I wanted to take it all in. Alone. I guess you could say I was a bit of a strange kid.
Just a few short hours later, my brother and I would be opening presents, which were often more practical than extravagant. Next came my favorite part of the day – heading to my grandparents’ house where there would be a MASSIVE tree, complete with those old school lights and tinsel, good food, and a gaggle of relatives and family friends. I was in heaven. Then, on December 26th, it would all be over. And my post-holiday blues would immediately set in. And, the more life resembled our normal routine, the more down I would feel. I would be thinking, “I can’t believe we have to wait a whole year for this to happen again!” This sadness and longing would linger until I shifted my focus to my birthday, which is less than two months after Christmas. YES! Something else to be excited about. At some point, the cycle would start again. And again.
As an adult, I tend to quickly put the holidays behind me. I guess the workaholic in me is anxious to get back to business. But I often use my childhood post-holiday blues as an analogy for another kind of melancholy that affects countless individuals – the struggle to be extraordinary on an ordinary day, or “December 26th Syndrome,” as I like to call it. I’m your typical overachieving dreamer. I am always thinking about life’s next big milestone – graduation, career advancement, relocation, the next business deal…you name it. Like many, when a momentous occasion is within reach, I am excited, motivated and disciplined. I have a laser-like focus that is hard to break. I live “in the zone.”
This M.O. has served me well. I have a growing list of achievements to prove it. BUT…there is another side to me, a side that I, and a whole lot of other seemingly successful people, don’t really like to talk about. We are the people who have a few noteworthy accomplishments under our belts. We are generally well-liked and dependable. To the outside world, we know how to deliver and win big. We may even inspire others to do great things. Unfortunately, we also lack the ability to carry these same tendencies into the inevitably mundane periods of life. During those times when nothing particularly great is on the horizon, and we are unsure of “what’s next,” we suddenly become plagued by feelings of self-doubt, confusion, and a complete lack of motivation. We feel guilty for falling into this trap, but find it difficult to move past it…that is, until a new goal, positive outcome or opportunity appears to be within reach. For some people, this way of life is perfectly acceptable; but, for many of us, we carry a subtle awareness that there is a better way…and we could accomplish so much more if we commit to learning it. If this is your plight, you, my friend, are a fellow December 26er, and this site was created specifically for you. And me.
What is the purpose of the site?
I encounter other December 26ers on a regular basis. Whenever I describe the two sides of my personality, friends and colleagues alike often respond with “that is so me.” After a while, the conversation seemed pretty redundant and fruitless. So, I set out to create a site that addresses this issue head on, supports those who face it, and provides solutions to overcome it.
December26er.com is:
One part EMPATHY. I will be blogging about my own journey and the lessons learned along the way. Sharing details about my private life on the Internet has never been my thing. But in an effort to encourage others to be honest about their shortcomings, I think it is important that I lead the way. This site is designed to facilitate a sense of community. If I post something that resonates with you, leave a comment. If you can relate to other people’s comments, let them know. The more we support each other, the more useful this site will be for all of us.
One part INSPIRATION. While I hope that readers can take something away from my story, there are so many other interesting people out there. I’ll be featuring a few of them by way of interviews and articles to help keep us inspired. Are you making strides in your personal or professional life? Have you successfully pushed past failure, disappointment, or an everyday rut and gone on to do great things? Learned some lessons you want to share? If so, I want to feature you on the site! Contact me for more details.
One part PRACTICALITY. We’ve all experienced that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes after reading about a well-known mogul who built an empire against inconceivable odds, or the celeb who lost it all and came back bigger and better than ever. Countless blogs, books, motivational speakers and life coaches are also known to elicit the same feeling. They all leave you pumped, believing that anything is possible, and ready to take over the world one productive day at a time. But then what? If you don’t know how to take action, that excitement will fade, and you’ll find yourself right back on Google or Amazon looking for your next motivational high. It’s time to get to work. I want to help you remain optimistic while producing real results. With that being said, I’ll be giving you a few resources to help along the way.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this site is not a breeding ground for self-pity. If you need to vent, no problem. Comment or contact me; but if you’re looking for someone to co-sign your theories on why you can’t be better or do better, you might want to keep surfing the web.
Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, still interested in being a part of the December 26er family? I’m so glad you are! Welcome aboard. Pull up a chair and be inspired, or educated, or simply comforted by the fact that you aren’t the only one on the often-difficult journey to your dreams.
Who am I?
Let’s start with who I am not. I am not a guru. I didn’t make a million by the age of 22. I have not found the secret to turning my entire life around in thirty days. Kudos to those who fall into these three categories, but I launched this site for the rest of us. I’m Delisha. In my late thirties and still trying to figure out how my twenties came and went so quickly. I was born and raised in Jersey, have done short stints in Minneapolis and Madrid, and have also called Philly and DC home.
By day, I’m a NYC lawyer. When I tell people this, the knee jerk response is usually “wow, you don’t look like a lawyer.” They’re right. There is still a section of my closet filled with drab suits, but I don’t get much use out of them these days. I’ve done the corporate thing and have run my own solo practice, counseling entrepreneurs and startup companies in the technology, media, and entertainment industries. Needless to say, I have spent a LOT of time with the December 26er crowd in my career.
By night, I’m a podcast enthusiast, serial researcher, and certified “music head.” I keep long hours and wear many hats, but I play by my own rules. My life is eventful, to say the least, but nothing like I thought it would be (except for the law degree part, maybe). Armed with an Ivy League degree, I started my career in sales and marketing for one of the largest companies in the world. Despite being well-respected and poised to do great things, I resigned after 2 years to fulfill a lifelong dream of going to law school. I just so happened to get my J.D. around the time when the entire legal industry was imploding and many classmates and friends were seeing their job offers vanish into thin air. I was fortunate enough to hang onto to my offer, yet turned it down to come to New York and explore the creative arts industry. I’m pretty sure people thought I was insane. After a while, I even thought I was insane. Panic set in (translation: Sallie Mae wanted her money), and I traded my artsy interests for more stability. I landed another job at a Park Avenue law firm, where I stayed until I found the courage to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. There is so much more to this story, but we’ll get to that eventually.
Just for kicks, here are a few of my favorite things: biting wit, keyboard shortcuts, french fries, and professional “fixers” (Yes, this is a nod to the TV show Scandal, but fixers really exist…and I like to think I could be one).