Try this Tuesday: Choose a Holiday Theme!

I got this fantastic idea from the “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” podcast. I love Gretchen’s work on habits, which I consistently incorporate into my own work with my accountability-coaching clients.

On one of her last podcasts, a listener had suggested choosing a “holiday motto” to use throughout the holidays. The idea is that this motto will help shape your holiday experience (instead of simply reacting) into what you want it to be. As someone who doesn’t love the season (mostly because of over-consumption, waste, frantic-ness and desperate gift-giving) I thought that this was JUST what I needed. Maybe you need this too. 

Here are a couple of ideas that you could adopt: 

• Comfort & Joy

• Tis the Season to be Jolly

• All is Calm, All is Bright

• Let your Heart be Light

• Walking in a Winter Wonderland

• Don’t get your Tinsel in a Tangle

• He knows if you’ve been bad or good ☺ 

It could also be more simplistic: 

• Gratitude

• Connection

• Family

• Festivity

• Celebrate

• Relax 

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed, and by focusing on a theme, it can really help to direct your thoughts and actions towards what you have chosen. I think it’s going to make a big difference for me this year. I have decided on “Let your Heart be Light” as my theme. This is what it means for me: 

Go with the flow (At this time of year, not everything goes as planned. Accept it.)

Don’t worry about the mess (It WILL get cleaned up.)

Realize that there will be excess (I have personally done all I can to reduce it; AND not everyone agrees with me about gift-giving – I will respect that.)

Don’t worry about extra calories & some indulgences (I trust myself anyway and have developed excellent tools over the years to deal with indulgences.)

Focus on the positives of the season (how can your heart be heavy if your focus is on the positive?)

Picturing Sam Smith singing “have yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is really relaxing and beautiful ☺ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnEqv8WcVq8

So that's it for this Try This Tuesday. What Holiday Motto would you adopt!?