My To Do List today scares me.
There is simply too much to do and not enough time to tackle it all. This will be true throughout the holiday season. As I feel my shoulders grip, my breath haunt the shallows of my chest and my heart quicken, I know this is not what I want my holidays to be.
I want JOY! I want PEACE!
But the obstacles of chores, work and obligations feel like hurdles I have to leap before I get to the good stuff. I’ve been around this block before, and here’s what always happens: the hurdles keep coming. No matter how much I get done, there is always more. In order to get to the joyful and peaceful parts of the holidays, I have to bypass the obstacle course altogether.
Easier said than done.
There is a difference between the urgent and the important, but when we act mindlessly, we often confuse the two. We take care of what seems urgent without evaluating how high it is on our list of priorities. That’s how we fall off balance. In order to maintain our sanity during the holidays, we can borrow an idea from the US Marines who operate under the code of: God, Country, Corp. This simple list helps marines evaluate their potential actions within the larger scheme of their values.
I’ve made my own Code of Priorities:
- Spirit
- Health
- Family
- Work
- School
- Friends
Instead of bowing to pressure to over-volunteer at the school or to attend events that will interfere with a looming deadline, I make sure I meditate and exercise first. Usually those are the first things to get knocked off a full To Do List, even though they really matter to me. I feel so much better with that bit of self care. That’s where I find my peace. Then I take care of my beloveds. That’s where I find my joy. After that comes the obstacle course of work and school. It seems sad and mean to put my friends last, but that is often the reality of middle age and motherhood.
We can’t do it all, but we can take care of our top priorities if we ignore the siren songs of urgent tasks.
I challenge you to make your own Code of Priorities. Keep it simple, 3-6 entries long. Funnel the demands of your day through your Code and see where you end up. Please share your code and results in the comments below.
Namaste.
If you want more cultivating mindfulness techniques in your holidays, check out my ebook, EnJOY the Holidays: Turn Holiday Stress Into Holiday Cheer. It costs only $2.99, and contains lots of practical tips you can start using right away. You can find it here:
Apple ibooks (in app purchase)
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