I write the Feel Change Build weekly newsletter about trusting emotions, transforming thoughts, and building lives that break the mold.
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π Make a List!
Published 3 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
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Hello Reader!β
This week, I'm exploring how writing everything down helps my brain, learning what I can from this year, and letting some things go in order to enjoy the holidays more!
Feel
To say I was feeling overwhelmed on Cyber Monday would have been a vast understatement. Since we were sick over the Thanksgiving holiday, I get to start December behind. Yay. I didn't have my gift list done. I didn't have a baking list done. We barely got our Xmas decorations up and card ordered. All things I normally have done before December! Mostly because I love to plan. But the plans weren't planning this year ππ
So in the frenzy of trying to order every gift on my list because Monday was the last day they would ever be on sale again(!!!), I sat down and started making my lists. I pulled out a notebook and wrote EVERYTHING down. It was a lot. But it's definitely manageable when broken down into parts. I knew this all along, but it took the act of giving my brain a rest from trying to remember every little detail to really calm my emotions.
Did I get everything ordered and done on Cyber Monday? No. But I did get a plan together. And even though it's not perfect, as General Patton says, "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week."
Change
I'm a big believer in turning around to enjoy the view. You really can't appreciate how far you've come if you never look back down the hill. So every year, my family gets to fill out my "What I Learned" form for New Year's! Yes, they groan and complain a little, but every year we learn so much about each other and ourselves.
Here's my holiday gift to you! It's only one page and doesn't take longer than 5 minutes to fill out. I keep them and love looking at them every year. It's almost like a forced diary at the end of the year!
Cut the Mental Clutterβ Your brain is juggling gift lists, deadlines, and family drama like a circus act. Spoiler: Itβs dropping balls. β Dump the mental junk β Keep only what matters β Repeat after me: βIβm at capacity.β (and mean it)
Overwhelm Isnβt a Character Flawβ Youβre not failing the holidays; youβre just human in a Pinterest-perfect world. β Cancel one thing (yes, even the cookie swap) β Buy the cookies instead of baking them β Good enough > Holiday Olympics
Take the Break You Keep Postponingβ βIβll rest in Januaryβ is the biggest holiday lie since βIβll just have one cookie.β β Rest now or crash later β 10 minutes of real rest beats 2 hours of stressed scrolling β Your body will force you to stop; beat it to the punch
I'm actually taking my own advice this year and taking micro-breaks. I used to try to get everything done for the day before I picked up my book or turned on a video game. But I wasn't getting any me time until 10, 11, or midnight. Well, screw that. All work and no play leads to not only grumpy Kate but also sick Kate!
So now I take these little micro-breaks like I'm in a Dove chocolate commercial without the chocolate. Okay, sometimes even with the chocolate! No judging out there! Anyway, I'll read a chapter of my book or play a quick level on a video game - no scrolling! It's really helping my stress levels. And it's almost like a reward system to push me past my procrastination to get the really non-fun stuff done this season.
This is your permission to go take a micro-break right now with or without the chocolate!
Thank you for taking the time to read. Please share with a friend who would enjoy the newsletter!
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