2017 Holiday Musings

Often the details of holiday celebrations create overwhelm in our lives. It’s not just the issues of time management and getting it all done, but it is coping with memories and emotional stuff that the season conjures up for many of us. For example, finding time for the physical room can be particularly difficult when it’s so easy to grab a couple of cookies or slathering on an extra scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on a piece of pie. The irony for me is that I’m writing this after Christmas and before any New Year celebrations with all of the ideas that are still swirling around my head like the dirt cloud that hovers over Charles Shultz’s character Pig Pen from the Peanuts cartoon.

These ideas are written down on a list; I’m a lists person. I’ve always used lists to give me a sort of outline and direction for my day. My lists before the hectic holiday season included grocery lists, gift lists for my immediate family, and chores, “to do’s”, and “must get done” lists. The day before Christmas Eve, I headed to the store with grocery list in hand, and by the looks of the parking lot, so did everyone else in town. This is an example of last minute catching up on my part; I hadn’t been following the orderly strategy of my lists.

Because my gift list was primarily of my handmade gifts, time management was essential. I know this from experience; however, because my schedule leading up to Christmas was booked solid and projects were taking much longer to make than I anticipated, I didn’t have the time needed to finish all of the gifts. As the days fell away, I readjusted my list by prioritizing which gifts needed to be completed for Christmas. The important thing is being able to pivot and readjust my expectations...being flexible. I know that I will finish sewing the items in the new year because creating is very much a way for me to “air” out my emotional room.

As for the chores, well, yeah, some of them got done. I did a quick surface clean before the company rang the doorbell, and as I’ve learned from Marla Cilley, The FlyLady, you can get your home “company ready” and organized by eliminating clutter and sticking to routines (flylady.net). From another group, Stephanie Bennett Vogt’s dailyOm class, A Year to Clear What is Holding You Back! I’m reminded that slowing down, simplifying my life, and taking care of myself is connected to the stuff I find difficult to release. Once again, I’m readjusting and being flexible. I closed the door to my messy sewing room and welcomed the voices and laughter that filled the house and my heart. This is truly what the holidays are about.

My lists also include items I want to do before the end of the year, such as reading a few books, trying new recipes, designing some decals for t-shirts, and calling and visiting special people during this holiday season. I also wanted to write a blog post about getting ready, staying in the moment, and enjoying the holidays. Well, once again, I had to pivot; I’m writing in the midst of the holiday season, not before. I have been able to check off a few items from my lists, but still, many remain on my “to do” list. I’m cutting myself some slack because I know that I will get to these things soon, and I am still anticipating the joy doing them will bring me.

I learned from Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to prioritize and do the items on a “must do” list that will give me the most bang for my time. Because I believe time is the most valuable asset anyone actually has, time management is pretty important to me. Over the years, I have taught students to manage their time and projects by breaking things down into smaller chunks, working consistently toward their goals, and rewarding themselves during the process. Sometimes getting students to follow through is like asking them to eat something they might be squeamish about...think liver, collards, or tofu. So I share the old saying that suggests you eat a frog first thing in the morning because it will most likely be the hardest part of the day and everything else will be closer to eating a piece of cake. The metaphor of eating a frog is also the foundation to one of my favorite books to share with students, Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. Tracy’s book provides twenty-one strategies to stop procrastination. Can you imagine what can get done if you prioritize and do what you really don’t want to do, but must, first thing. For me, this can be exercising, so this is one reason visiting my physical room first thing in the morning is important, because if I don’t get my walk in, I might make excuses to put it off, leaving the chance of it not getting done. I routinely do my meditations, praying, and exercising in the morning, but I purposefully make the time to revisit my spiritual room throughout the day and specifically again before I go to sleep while the physical room could easily get left out for the day if I’m not intentional.

Learning to pivot, or changing direction and being flexible, has been in part the learning of my life. What has gotten me through this hectic time has been remembering the pivot and relying on routines. Not everything on my lists have been checked off and some events haven’t worked out as I had planned, but I’ve managed to “eat the frogs” and accept the pivots which have helped manage some of the overwhelm. For example, I’ve been able to visit my four rooms each day, but with all that needed to be done, I surely didn’t get to spend the time that I wished I could in each. Some of the ideas that continue to swirl around my head are still written down on my “ideas” list and will be addressed at a later time. My sewing room awaits me with the unfinished gifts, and I’m lucky to have plans to meet up with some friends for shopping and movie excursions.

What organizational tools like lists, prioritizing, and flexibility have allowed you to manage holiday overwhelm? Have you visited your four rooms?

I hope this holiday season is a time of celebration, love, and laughter. For now, I wish you Happy Holidays!

In Gratitude,

Lisa