(Click to download or right-click ‘save as’ to download to your computer.)
This is the hard part. When you realize that your list is way too long and even with help, you simply won’t be able to do all the things you want to do or all the things other people want you to do.
And it’s hard. Really hard.
Making decisions about what you’re not going to do. Who you’re not going to see. What you’re not going to buy, make or send.
This step requires compassion, permission and perhaps even a dose of self-forgiveness.
So consider this post a giant permission slip to do only what fits with your desired qualities for the holidays.
And a permission slip to have lots of different and perhaps even conflicting feelings about it: anger, disappointment, frustration, sadness, relief, excitement, and all the rest. Give yourself some time and space to have your own feelings, and don’t be surprised if everyone else has their own feelings about some of these decisions.
And here’s a little something I didn’t mention in the podcast, but should have.
There’s a temptation to blame ourselves if we can’t do everything we wanted to do or planned to do. You may hear some nasty little voice inside your head saying things like, “Well if you’d only planned better…” or “If you hadn’t waited so long, you could have done it all perfectly.”
Let me say for the record, these voices are full of shit.
No matter how well you plan, or how early you start, there will always be more to do than will be possible. And no matter how much you do, there will always be someone (maybe even you!) who will be disappointed.
These things simply cannot be helped!
The process of making adjustments is hard. There’s no way around it. And sometimes an outside perspective is very useful. So… to that end, I’m taking a page from Wendy Cholbi and offering Office Hours next Monday to help you navigate some of these hard choices.
Open Office Hours
Monday, December 12
10am-12pm Mountain Time.
303-652-0380 (yep, that’s my home number)
Give me a call and we’ll do some laser coaching to help you make the adjustments to your holiday plans that will work best for you and your family. Extra compassion and permission slips for everyone!
You can also leave your question or comment down below and I’ll be sure to respond there!
