Are you a fan of New Year’s resolutions?
Personally I’ve always seen them as a glorified version of ‘I’ll start my diet on Monday’. And I can’t remember a single new year’s resolution ever changing my life beyond the 10th of January that year. That’s why I’m a much bigger believer in the power we can all tap into RIGHT NOW. The choice that we all have – TODAY – in this moment as you’re reading this – to do / think / believe the kinds of things that your New Years resolved self would be doing on Jan 1st. Expect – by doing it now – you’d be ahead of the game. You’d have set the tone for the kind of year you’d like 2020 to be. For you. For your family.
And it all starts with awareness.
How does December feel for you? If it feels a little overwhelming at times – and like someone else has decided the pace, the agenda and the whole script for how this month pans out – then read on
Don’t blindly step on the train to stress and overwhelm this Christmas.
Make conscious decisions about the kind of FEELING you would like to create for you and your family this month. The feeling of coyness, connection, warmth and magic – that we all want Christmas to be for our family does not happen when we make the outcome more important than the process. The WHAT more important than the HOW. When every moment becomes a steppingstone to the next.
In my native Denmark – a national survey of children throughout the entire country found that what they most desire for Christmas is more time spent with their parents. This was last year – and I suspect nothing has changed this year – or that British children are any different.
So what can we do to fulfil this desire?
Here are my suggestions for a more enjoyable countdown to Christmas
Don’t
blindly accept every invitation
feel forced to write 200 Christmas cards
bake gingerbread cookies with the kids while flirting with a cold
believe everything you see on Instagram
Believe that as long as you grit your teeth till the 25th joy will overwhelm you and your family when you tuck into your Christmas meal
make it harder on yourself than it has to be
Take it all on your shoulders
Start new projects
force the magic
Try instead
To ask yourself; does this invitation / event bring me joy?
Write your cards HAPPILY if you CHOOSE this is important to you
Rest when you can and trust that if you’re run down – chances are the whole family has been running fast for a while too.
To see Instagram for what it is: Our front of house – which is beautiful, inspirational – but not the whole story
To trust that magic and joy can arise only when we are awake to the PRESENT moment – whatever form it takes
Cut some corners. Beans on toast for dinner is not a criminal offence and may mean you can be better present as a mum/ dad.
To delegate; treat yourself to a cleaner, get grocery delivery, ask your partner or kids for help
Not to big up Christmas in the build up to the big day. No one – least of all our kids can bear this for very long
To hibernate. Instead of opening new projects – tying an end on current projects – doing what nature intends for us to do; go inwards and come together.
