It happens every year. Well meaning creatives are chugging along with their projects (and life in general) when the holidays come rolling down the street and Bam! Bus. (I’ll buy you a Christmas present if you can tell me what show that came from)
As soon as the leaves start to change, there’s something in the air that seems to press the fast forward button, making everything swish by. Soon you are spit out on the other side of a new year wondering what happened to you. You look down and see a few questionable bruises, five new pounds that taunt you, and several blurry memories.
The sad part is that most of us who were in a groove now find ourselves having a hard time getting back to work with the same exuberance we had before. In other words…
Holidays 1
You 0
The holidays will always be there. The trick isn’t to brace for submission. It’s about learning the rules of game.
Batch It.
Batching can be a savior here. One thing that makes people want to drink poisoned eggnog is the idea of shopping at the mall during the holidays. Instead of the preferred visions of sugar plums dancing in your head, you have nightmares of parking battles unfolding before your eyes. So in lieu of making the trek out multiple times during the month of December, commit to one big day. Actually take a minute or two over breakfast to write out your game plan. What presents do you need? What decor is still needed? What bottle of wine do you need? Make that list and map out where you need to go for it. Then take one full day and get it all done. I guarantee that with one big day of errand running—as opposed to multiple trips over multiple days—will keep you in the holiday spirit. And you can enjoy that aforementioned bottle of wine at home with your feet up and your mind at ease.
Batching works for those creative projects you need to get done so you can enjoy the holidays. Need to do a weekly blog post, but know it will get more difficult as the weeks go on? Schedule a marathon day of writing where you create one post after another. Have a podcast? Mark it on your calendar and give your interviewees an appointment time, one right after the other. Have an audition? What other errands or meetings can you get done that day while you’re out? Batch, batch, batch.
Schedule It.
Nothing wreaks havoc on your daily routine like the holidays. It’s during this time that it’s crucial to live or die by your calendar. For example, one of the biggest complaints around the holidays is that there is no time to exercise or eat right. So schedule it. Actually block out time in your calendar like an appointment to go to gym or to that yoga class. You can even schedule meals. Sit down on Sunday and look ahead at your week. You see that holiday party sitting there at the end of the week? Schedule in healthy meals for the rest of it so you can actually enjoy yourself at the party and not feel guilty.
Have important projects on the horizon for your creative career? Schedule them in (and batch them!). Need help figuring out which thing gets priority? Read this article here by Ash Ambirge of The Middle Finger Project. Hilarious and spot on.
Pause It.
My dear creative, it is ok to put the holidays on hold. They deserve your attention, sure. But so does your sanity. And every creative I know stays sane when they continue to work on what makes them happy. Period. If you let the holidays get the better of you, you’ll run the risk of loosing yourself, even just a little bit. You don’t need to be consumed by your project, but you owe it to yourself to ask the holidays to hold on for just a minute. Even if it is just for an hour a week.
Chill It.
Speaking of sanity, you need to be able to step away and take a break from everything. To chill out. To relax. Go take a bubble bath with an apple cobbler scented candle burning in the background. Take a trip to a well decorated cafe for a holiday inspired drink with a friend. Get a fire going and sit on the couch with your hunny and a bottle of vino. Curl up on the sofa with a comfy blanket and a good book.
Taking the time for yourself allows you to rejuvenate and be ready for all the fun ahead. Because that’s what the holidays are…fun.
Embrace It.
And finally, don’t fight it. The holidays are amazing. They’re a time to gather with family and friends. It’s a time of nostalgia and new memories. Embrace it by keeping to traditions and creating new ones. Set aside time to dedicate to the preparation of holidays. Put on your favorite movie, enjoy a cup of tea, pull out that classic CD. The more you look ahead to after the holidays, the more you will miss it. In this day and age where we are constantly go, go, go, we forget to slow down and live in the moment. Be mindful of the holidays and embrace everything that goes with it.
In January, people always ask you if you survived the holidays. Survived? What is this? World War X(mas)? To say you survived implies that you went through a battle. That you bled and sacrificed to get where you are on the other side.
But honestly, you guys. That’s exhausting.
Instead, come ready to play the game. That way survival isn’t the outcome. Joy is.