Planning A Successful Christmas: THE FIRST PRINCIPLE

So many people I speak to dread Christmas. In this 12 part series, new in the run-up to Christmas 2014, I take you through essential steps to plan for a more emotionally positive Christmas, starting with making the choice to choose to make this Christmas holiday the best yet. You’ll find each post has useful tips and handy exercises that you can try along the way.

Find out more at https://genuinely-you.com/12daysguide

What is Christmas to you? Is it a season of peace and goodwill to all men, or a time of all-out war of attrition with the stepchildren and/or the Mother In Law?

Do you look forward to Christmas or are you of the “humbug” persuasion?

The holidays become a pressure cooker of old disappointments caused by a year-on-year failure for Christmas to live up to the fairy tale ideal of playing happy families with the husband or wife, the children, in-laws, the stepchildren….

Add the financial cost…. the sense of dread because finding, buying and wrapping presents that people will like on your budget seems impossible, and all of this against a back drop of not having enough time.

Then there is all the food shopping and catering. This is tricky as you don’t know if you are catering for the hoards or just the two of you because no one is making a decision and you don’t want to start a family row.

It is no wonder that people are overwhelmed at this time of year!

The approach and techniques will be sharing with you I use myself and with clients to help manage the family holidays whether they are Christmas, Thanksgiving or the summer holidays.

The First Principle

The first principle is about what is going on in your head. If you think it is going to be terrible – then it is likely to be terrible. Be open to the possibility that with a different approach you can have a different experience. Make a conscious decision that you are going to approach these holidays differently and that you are going to choose to have a good time.

Your mind-set has an enormous impact on your emotional state. Habitual thinking, particularly when it is negative dredges up all the old hurts, frustrations and anger from past times. This means you are not only dealing with the situation you find yourself in now but you open up all the old wounds. Doing so leaves you feeling dreadful, and far less able to manage.

So choose to make these holidays the best ever.

Try This:

Imagine you have a strong shield, which protects every part of you – a golden bubble or a riot shield of plexi-glass that is impenetrable from the outside. As you get up in the morning imagine turning on your shield. Nothing anyone says or does can hurt you unless you choose to give it the power. Imagine anything which you think is negative slithering off the bubble or screen - like raw eggs.

Be careful that you are realistic about what is achievable. Remember we are talking about making the choice, choosing to have a good time, not creating an expectation that everything will be perfect!

Instead of dreading Christmas, choose to plan a successful Christmas! Find out how in Dreading Christmas – Part 2.