Welcome to the holiday season, y’all! Or in the immortal words of Stanley Tucci, “gird your loins.“ If you’re feeling dizzy by the time warp of the holidays, then my best life coaching mantra is “Back it up!”

Lower your expectations of how much you have to do for the perfect holiday season. Most of the things I think I need to do to make a perfect Christmas, nobody even notices, and logic dictates they wouldn’t miss them either.

For instance, my last newsletter was a week late. I decided to take my advice and rest my poor migraine-addled brain instead of finishing. If you were heartbroken that you didn’t receive it on time, I’m sending you light and love! But I’ve grown too ancient to not walk my talk.

The more likely possibility is that you are in your own holiday time warp, and you didn’t notice.

Be really honest with yourself. What can you take off your list of things that “NEED” to be done or Christmas will be crappy and you will be considered a terrible parent/child/spouse? Spoiler alert, no one thinks you’re terrible, and if they do, that’s more about them than it is about you!

I am lowering my expectations to attention based TODOs. All my family really wants is a fun time together. Can you prioritize time just hanging with family, playing games, baking cookies, doing Christmas crafts? Those are all the TODOs that make memories.

What needs to be done now and what can wait until later? In the hunger games of what’s important this holiday season, might I humbly suggest that you do less and self-care more, prioritizing your impact on your loved ones over the impact on your list.

Can you name me one gift that you remember from five Christmases ago? I can’t. What I can remember from 15 years ago is making snowmen/women in the image of family members, complete with personality quirks and hobbies. My snow-mom had knitting needles and yarn in her pipe cleaner “hands“, and my middle daughter‘s snow-girl had a Guitar, KISS make-up, and a mohawk. THAT’S a holiday memory!

We have grown as a family, so our holiday traditions adapt. Without rigid expectations, families can grow organically with all their freak flags flying proudly! As we on-ramp to Christmas, let’s chant, “I will buy less, do less, and love more! When feeling overwhelmed, I will BACK IT UP!”

Until we meet again,
XO
Terri
P.S. If this post moved you, please tell me all about it HERE If you need help recovering from the holidays, click here!