Christmas Past 2019

Even though my mind is racing forward into this new year, I want to be intentional about looking back at one of the most important seasons of the year! Over the past several years my husband and I have been working to make the Christmas season more meaningful and less stressful for ourselves! That is easier said than done!

Reflect Back on 2019

So, as I’ve been reading, The Next Right Thing, by Emily P Freeman, I came across an activity that I felt would be helpful in this process. In chapter nine she talked about an exercise that helps people who are making big decisions in their lives. However, it would also be beneficial when making a multitude of everyday decisions as well. All you need is a piece of paper (or even your notes on your phone) and a pen. You can do the activity all by yourself, with a friend or spouse…

The Goal

First of all, the goal of this activity is to help you figure out if you’re actually achieving the goals you most desire during the Christmas season. Are the activities worth the time and energy we are giving them? Or, are they simply sucking the life out of us? What was life-draining about the season, and what was life-giving? Making those decisions during a super stressful time of year is definitely not optimal! Hopefully, this will give clarity and focus for next year’s agenda!

Let’s Make a List

Let’s get started!
Step 1
First, divide your paper in half. At the top of the page label this section “life-draining” and the bottom half “life-giving” activities (thoughts, actions, etc).

Step 2
Next, take a few minutes to think about the 4 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Make a bullet list of the activities, thoughts, actions, etc. that were life-draining and life-giving. Your list doesn’t need to be super long, or comprehensive… just whatever seems to come to mind pretty quickly.

Good to Know

Note
I found that some things actually belonged in both sections of the list. That’s ok too. You have to decide if the outcome was worth the effort!

Step 3
Then, look over the list you made in the life-draining list. You may want to make a mental note, or actually write down your feelings about each of these. Was that part of the season necessary, or something you want to repeat next year? Is there a way you could streamline it? Or maybe you want to eliminate it altogether!

A Personal Example

Let me give you an example. One of the “life-draining” things about the past 3 years has been my attempt to find “matching pj’s” for the family. In the past three years, I have only been successful in this endeavor one time! Here are the roadblocks for me. (Please keep in mind that I struggled internally with this for the ENTIRE 4 weeks!!!) The pj’s can be costly, finding the “perfect” pattern, and getting sizes for ALL 7 of us. UGH, y’all! I wanted it to be perfect. IG perfect. Picture perfect. You get the gist. And what was the outcome this year? NOTHING. I didn’t end up doing anything with it. (Except for “over-thinking” it) Shortly before Christmas eve, I finally gave up the hunt.

How It All Turned Out

The outcome. I tell you that story because it was mentally and emotionally exhausting. And this was the third year trying to make it happen! So, as my hubby and I looked over this category, I expressed my desire to keep this activity even though it was totally exhausting. (Everyone in the family had expressed a desire to do it too.) So, we decided to make some minor tweaks to the process in hopes that it will succeed next year. Here’s what we decided to do. Find pj’s early in the season, order online, make sure we have everyone’s correct size, and pay a little more for what we wanted. At the time it seemed like such a big deal. Now, I feel excited to try again next year. I’ll let you know how it goes in about 357 days! 🙂 Or better yet! Watch for the pics on the gram!

Back to the List

Step 4
Then, look over the life-giving list. Look over all the things that did go well. Things that brought squeals of laughter and delight for you and your family. Maybe they were just things that warmed your heart. Pat yourself on the back and give thanks for those moments, traditions, and decisions that made the season so meaningful for you.

I also found that it was good to look at this section with an objective eye, because there may be things you had/have questions about. There was an item on our list like this. We weren’t sure at first glance that it was worth repeating again next year. However, as my husband and I briefly talked through it, we quickly found it was something we wanted to keep and it clarified our thoughts about the activity. (It gave us a chance to make sure it was worth the time and energy to do it.)

Step 5
Finally, KEEP this list for next season! Put it somewhere that it is handy. I’m stapling mine into a notebook I will use all of 2020. That way I can quickly look back at the notes made and it can be a road map in making next Christmas a less stressful time.

Good to Know

Note
I did this activity with my husband. It’s super encouraging to know we are on the same page and can eliminate confusion and second thoughts. (My mental game “over-thinking” is strong over here! I’ve found it keeps me stuck most of the time… wasting my time and energy!)

It’s Your Turn

Now it’s your turn. What do you think? Are you willing to try it? Adjustments are an inevitable part of life. So, it’s not perfect! But neither is doing the same thing over and over again in hopes that it will be different next time! Being intentional… Making some decisions now can definitely make life less stressful in the long run!

I Want to Hear From You!

As always, I would love to hear back from you about your thoughts! Please leave your comments and questions below. If you have an idea, please share those as well! I look forward to hearing from you!

Happy 2020 y’all!
Cindyh