Today is Day 17 of my #businessadventcalendar and I have another blog post. I admit (now!) this is incredibly vague – do I write one, post one? Both?
As my website is still a work in progress (it’s further along than it was 17 days ago!) I’m posting here again (and will share to my website when it’s live).
Christmas Eve is 7 short days away. I don’t know about you, but for me, one minute it was the third week of November, and then boom, Christmas is here in 7 short days!
I’m lucky as it’s just me this year, and bar a Waitrose shop (you can take the girl out of Surrey, but never Surrey out of the girl!) I’m ready. Well, I will be, once I post my Christmas cards…!
Last year, I made cards. They were beautiful and I spent a long time on them. This year, not only did I not make any, I went out and bought some, despite knowing I have a box of cards. Somewhere… I’m decorating my new home, everything that is supposed to be in my office is in my bedroom, and my normally uncluttered room is full and making me feel overwhelmed. I have to do an assault course just to get to my bed!
My lounge has 2 walls that no longer have wallpaper on them and my dining room is missing the heater on the wall as I took it off to paint the wall and it’s a 2-person job to put it back on.
My office will be finished, as will my lounge and dining room, but not before next week and that’s OK.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, like there’s too much to do, take a breath. Make yourself a cup of tea, or coffee, or even pour yourself a glass of wine, put some music on and just take a moment.
Then, when you’re feeling calmer (note calmer, not necessarily calm!) write down everything that needs doing. Get it out of your head and onto paper.
When you can see what needs doing, you can make a plan. Write a ‘p’ next to everything you think is a priority. Once you’ve done that, think about WHO can do the things on your list, and finally WHEN they can be done.
This is important because it takes the pressure off you. Do you have to do them all? What would happen if someone else did something? If it wasn’t done at all?
We can put all this pressure on ourselves to have a ‘perfect’ Christmas. Often, we don’t remember the perfect ones, we remember the ones where we laughed, felt safe and loved.
Be realistic about what can be achieved in a week. Be OK that you won’t tick everything off your to-do list. Maybe focus on the things that will create the memories you’ll look back on. And the lunch on Christmas Day. Don’t forget that!
Christmas isn’t about presents, it’s about presence. Yes, that’s a cliché, but there are reasons that things are clichés. Do what you can, let go of the rest, be present on the day and enjoy those around you. And if the day isn’t perfect, there’s always next year. And next year, you’ll look back at this year, and have fond memories.