| This Week's Topic: 6 Tips to Maximize Your Holiday Season
Dear Friend, "Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day."
~Helen Steiner Rice With the holiday season in full swing this week enjoy six tips to reduce your stress and maximize your holiday season.
1) Focus on What is Important and Drop the Rest!
Coaching Q: What is really important to you between now and the New Year?
Come up with five things that are truly important and focus your time and energy on those.
2) Experience the Joy, Fully
Coaching Q: Stroll down memory lane, when you look back over past holiday seasons, what memories bring you the most joy?
Is it the decorating, baking, time with family, parties, music, worship services or something else? Ensure that you weave these activities into your plan for the holiday season.
3) Don't Stress over Gifts to Give
The gift of love is the real joy of Christmas. The best gifts are authentic and pure and ask for nothing in return except a thank you. We lead our families by example. When we give joyously and ask nothing in return we, of course, get the largest gift.
Coaching Q: What would this person really enjoy that I have the time, money or resources to give them?
Is it dinner out and a movie together, a lovely trinket, a practical tool for work, or perhaps something to wear? Keep it simple, don't over complicate the give giving process and neglect the reason for the season.
4) Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
Begin doing things to prepare for your holiday events. Prevent procrastination and make a plan for these days and weeks. Use a schedule or your work calendar to plan out both your personal and professional responsibilities. Don't forget to plan in the fun stuff too! Refer back to the items you listed in questions number one and two to ensure they are part of your plan.
Coaching Q: What must I do in the next several weeks? What do I want to make sure I do during the holiday season?
Each day review your plan and ensure you are moving your goals forward.
5) Don't Blow Your Budget
It is easy in the excitement of the season to forget to stick to your own financial plan. It doesn't matter if your bank account has lots of "0's" or very few - we all need a budget for the season.
Coaching Q: What is my budget this season? (Be sure to include gifts, decorations, food, parties, tithing, etc.)
Create a budget that reflects your current situation. Find the balance between being miserly and finding yourself with a huge debt in January.
6) Continue Traditions and Create New Ones
As we hear in Fiddler on the Roof, "Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as, as... as a fiddler on the roof!" Traditions hold families, groups and societies together; they bind us together. They reflect our morals, values and customs.
Coaching Q: What are my traditions and how do they serve me and my family? What new traditions might we want to include this year?
During this season remember to continue that which serves you and your family in a meaningful way and drop what no longer works. If the jell-o mold isn't getting eaten at the dinner table, then perhaps this year it is okay to pass on preparing it! Make It Happen Use these six tips to shape your holiday season and create what you want. Stay focused on the real reason for the season. Blessings to you and your loved ones, you have my greatest gratitude for continuing on this journey each week.
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