With Christmas just around the corner and COVID-19 cases surging, you may be wondering what the heck to do about Christmas this year. There IS such a thing as decision fatigue and I’d be willing to bet you’re hitting that wall right about now. 

As an Organization Coach, I often help my clients navigate stressful situations like this. My suggestion for Christmas 2020 is to make it an intentional Christmas full of cherry-picked traditions that truly bring you and your family joy and happiness. 

SET EXPECTATIONS EARLY

If you haven’t already discussed travel arrangements with family, the earlier you do this, the better. If you are opting out of travel and also prefer not to have visitors, speak up now!

There is nothing wrong with keeping Christmas close and intimate this year. If you would like to only have your immediate family at the house, it is better to let extended family know ASAP so that they can plan and prepare for their own Christmas.

HAVE A POSITIVE MINDSET

Your brain is the most powerful organ in your body.

It is truly a magical and beautiful thing. You have the ability to think positively even in dire circumstances. 2020 has been a doozie!

But this is where the most important tool in your toolbox comes into play, mindset. Having a positive mindset takes practice.

There is a lot of course correction involved. However, once you open yourself up to choosing happiness, you will be rewarded in the deepest and most satisfying ways. 

DECIDE WHICH TRADITIONS TO KEEP

Make a list of your family traditions and decide which ones are non-negotiable. Keep only the best of the best! Then decide if they can be celebrated in their full form or if they need to be modified to fit current safety guidelines.

Be sure that the traditions you decide to keep align with your family’s expectations of what it will take to have a good Christmas. You might be surprised which ones mean the most to them and which ones they choose to opt-out of this year. 

MAKE EVERYTHING EXTRA-SPECIAL

What can you do to add some extra sparkle to the traditions you want to keep? Could you do them while wearing matching Christmas pajamas or streaming non-stop Christmas music? Figure out some simple ways to really zero in on making this an intentional Christmas.

Try some fun activities that could become new traditions. Divide the family into teams and have a Christmas bake-off. Have a binge puzzle session and see how many puzzles you can put together in a day/week. Mix and match different spices and candy to create unique hot cocoa flavors. Have you always wanted to build a gingerbread house? Well, Christmas 2020 is THE Christmas to do it!

MAKE GIFTING EASY

Whether you’re mail-ordering everything, utilizing click and pickup services, or shopping in-store, I encourage you to have your friends and family create wishlists on giftful.com. This is by far the easiest platform I’ve used to manage all of my family’s birthday, Christmas, and anniversary lists.

The service is free to use and each family member can add items from ANY website, store, or vendor. You can even add experience gifts! You can choose to make your list public or private as well as personal or collaborative.

There’s even an entire section with gift suggestions as well as a Chrome plug-in to make adding items to your wishlist the easiest thing ever.

There’s no doubt that this year has been atypical, but you must do the best with what you have. By setting expectations early, you can help avoid disappointment. By having a positive mindset, you ensure that you keep the Christmas spirit alive in your heart. And by making the traditions you decide to keep extra-special, you open yourself up to having a rewarding, memorable, and intentional Christmas full of joy and cheer. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help gaining clarity on boundaries, mindset and holiday planning. Follow Keli for more information and useful organizing tips this holiday season!

Originally posted DECEMBER 16, 2020