Masterful Mindsets – Achieve Holiday Peace
“May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!” ~Author Unknown
Question:
Is the stress of “doing” everything keeping you from “being” peaceful and focused on your blessings? Are you allowing your to-do list to take all your time and energy? Are you worried about finishing everything on time?
Action Challenge:
Mid December, what? Are you kidding me? If you’re like many people, despite your best efforts, the holidays are almost here and you are still not ready.
If you are feeling the pressure to get it all done, take a moment to breathe… then use the tips below to get a clear plan that will help you stay focused and finish in time to truly relax and enjoy your holidays.
For starters – let me remind you that the most important tip for having a stress-free holiday is to let go of expectations!
Whether it be expectations placed on you by others or yourself, the key to making things run smoothly in any situation (not just during the holidays) is to stay away from setting unrealistic expectations. Let’s face it; Santa is the only one who can get it all done in one night and even he has thousands of elves who help him get ready for the big event. 😉
Seriously, though, to keep from getting overwhelmed with the extra tasks that holidays bring, it’s essential to remember not to focus so much on all the expectation, but instead, set intentions for the person you want to be this holiday season, based on what’s most important to you. Get back to the basics of your core values and eliminate what is really not a priority. So release yourself from unrealistic expectations and get ready to enjoy some peace.
Of course for those things that are unavoidable, set yourself up to accomplish those tasks by having SMART goals. – I won’t go into all the SMART goal components now, but if you’d like to utilize them and the other tools I have for achieving success, I encourage you to sign up for my FREE Trial of the Achieve! Success System. – For now, I just want to draw attention to one of the key components of smart holiday planning and that’s the timeline. Since everything usually culminates at the same time, it’s imperative to have a timeline to follow. The best way to set that up is to:
- Make a list of all you need and want to get done.
- Prioritize it; what must be done and what can be skipped if you run out of time.
- Set up a timeline; what needs to be done first, second, etc. The key is to do early what can be done early! Do a little every day.
- Estimate the amount of time it will take to get each task done; then DOUBLE it! This is especially true if you are making things. They often take more time than expected so you end up rushed and overwhelmed.
- Then start – start NOW! (If you haven’t already.)
Lastly, be organized and prepared. Setting your timeline is a great way to start. But don’t forget to make shopping lists – so you don’t have to make extra trips to the store. Figure out your budget for gift giving – so you don’t overspend this year. Keep track of all you do – so that next year you have a plan already started. And be prepared for little surprises. You know, like the guests that drop by unexpectedly or the friend who gives you a gift that you weren’t planning to give a gift too. Having snacks on hand that you can throw together in a moment’s notice or extra gifts ready for those “just in case moments” will save you the worry of not being prepared.
My challenge to you is to have a stress free and peaceful holiday -set intentions not expectations, have a timeline, organize and be prepared!
May you be blessed with peace and love this holiday season and beyond!
***I want to hear from you… share your thoughts about this week’s topic below.