Enjoy your holidays

Have you enjoyed the holiday season so far?

Christmas is just around the corner and if I’m completely honest with you this holiday season has not been one of the best. It’s been this way on and off over the years. Perfectionism runs rampant and when I have to step outside the walls of my home it’s easy for me to feel judged. I’m not the best gift giver and this time of year presents a special challenge for me. It used to be paralyzing really.

I’m not trying to make you feel worse than you may already feel. I truly want the holiday season to feel magical, but I believe I’ve proven over and over again that the magic doesn’t just happen.

In order for something to change we have to change something. We can’t keep doing what we’ve done before and expect the results to be different, right?

Instead of going with the flow next year, you can reflect on how the holiday season has gone so far and decide now how you want things to be next year. In this episode you learn why it’s ok to make a change and how to plan for a better holiday next year.

Why is it ok to make a change?

I believe it’s true that if momma ain’t happy, then nobody’s happy. We truly are able to set the tone for our home anytime, but especially during the holiday season. We just have to think that we can. 

When we feel that everything has to be perfect in order to enjoy the season, then so will our family. And perfection is not real. It’s not attainable. When we work hard to make everything perfect for everyone, we wind up getting upset with things that are out of our control, which if we’re honest with ourselves, that’s most things! We cannot control other people. Or Amazon orders or things other people do or say or if the tree lights go on the fritz. There’s always some small little thing that causes the explosion seemingly out of nowhere for our family.

Let’s not do that. Let’s not let that happen next year.

So, how? How to enjoy the holiday season.

How to plan for a better holiday season next year

1. It’s time to assess what you’ve liked about the holiday season so far and what you haven’t. Basically we’re going to sort through the facts and the feelings by making a list. One side is what has gone well or felt good and the other side what has not gone well or not felt good. No wrong way to do this, just write it down so that you have it all in one place.
2. Now that you’ve gotten it all out of your head and onto paper, you can review it in order to make different decisions. Go through the list and decide what you are NOT going to commit to doing next year. Perhaps going to a work Christmas party was something that you didn’t enjoy or simply took too much time and truly there’s no return on that time invested. Or maybe you made cookies for your kids to take to school and the time that took was more than the time you had available and if it’s just not something you want to do, do not commit to doing it next year.
3. Next, review the list for what you want to keep doing next year. Not what you HAVE to, but what you want to.
4. Last, add things to the list that you didn’t do, but you want to. For me, I really want our family to have a fun friends Christmas day. Where all the kids invite their friends to hang out, decorate cookies, watch movies and exchange some small gifts. Kind of making the day what they want it to be. Let yourself think about it a bit. And write it down.

The holiday season isn’t about the gifts you give or the gifts you get, instead it’s truly about Jesus’ birth and celebrating our salvation. The world has put a completely different spin on it, but no matter what it’s truly a time to come together with others that you enjoy being with, whether that’s friends or family. It’s a time of forgiveness and understanding. Not tolerating others, but giving them grace.

Take the list you’ve made, tuck it into your planner for next November 1st so that you can revisit how you truly want to enjoy your holiday season.

Are you to the point where you just want someone to come into your home to get it clean and organized?

I get it. Daily life so easily has us feeling like we’re running around like chickens with their heads cut off. What if you could learn how to clean and organize your home in a truly effective and lasting way? In the online course Home Organizing for Beginners that is exactly what I teach you. It’s so important when cleaning and organizing your home to consider how you and your family live life each day. It’s a must to set yourself up for success with a home that you can whip back into shape anytime life gets out of control.

Home Organizing for Beginners will give you:

• Confidence in your ability to organize your own home. Allow your new found confidence to show your children that they can be organized too. (even though they’ll fight you on it!)
• Fool proof steps to creating a clean and organized home that you will be proud to welcome others into even when they stop in unannounced.
• Time to spend how you choose. For me the extra time has been spent with the Lord. This has helped me bring true peace and joy into my home.

To learn more go to homeorganizingforbeginners.com.